Garda Uniform

bugler · 07-07-2008 04:00PM #1

The other day while out walking back from the shop to my apartment I saw an unmarked Garda car (Toyota Corolla I believe) pull over a car.

The Garda got out and went up to talk to the driver. The Garda wasn't in the usual uniform. He was wearing dark trousers (might have been the standard blue ones), a dark t-shirt and had the stab vest on. No hat either.

I'm just curious, do the uniform and unmarked car signify anything? Specialist unit? He seemed to be on his own.

FWIW, I walked off and the car came around past me again, so whatever he stopped the guy for it didn't take long or he decided to let him go.

metman · 07-07-2008 04:13PM

Sounds like you saw a plain clothes unit. No uniform and an unmarked car is usually the clue

bugler · 07-07-2008 04:44PM

He wasn't in plain clothes. It looked...almost paramilitary(!), for want of a better term.

or else he was wearing his mountain bike gear!

Do they wear a black shirt instead of the light blue? Could have been!

Eru · 07-07-2008 09:49PM

Depends on what you class a shirt and blue too be honest. that sounds stupid I know but the reality is some units have polo shirts etc that can be worn sometimes or depending on their district. Then some people wear some older parts of uniform, some new recruits have newer versions of the uniform that havent become general issue yet and so on.

really depends or maybe it was an RSU uniform or a trial item thats just been put out?

Also know that some Chiefs are letting people ditch the tie when wearing their vests and another that makes averyone wear high vis 24/7 even in the cars.

Marcus.Aurelius · 07-07-2008 10:25PM

Our traffic inspector demands we wear the high vis all the damn time, annoys the bejeebus out of me.

Gets caught on the seat bits in the mondeo, one of these days I'm going to fall out of the car after I pull someone over. So much for high visibility checkpoints!

yayamark · 08-07-2008 02:08AM

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

really depends or maybe it was an RSU uniform or a trial item thats just been put out?

.

It wasnt RSU as there not out yet and havent been issued a uniform.

Eru · 08-07-2008 04:10PM

yayamark wrote: »

It wasnt RSU as there not out yet and havent been issued a uniform.

Yeah I know but I figured maybe there was some form of trial uniform for them thats being tested somewhere.

FGR · 08-07-2008 04:51PM

Could just as easily be members on plainclothes duty wearing their uniform vests. Happens quite a lot. Possibly Op Anvil?

Victor · 09-07-2008 10:31PM

Chief Admiral wrote: »

Gets caught on the seat bits in the mondeo, one of these days I'm going to fall out of the car after I pull someone over. So much for high visibility checkpoints!

Time for a hi-vis vest for the stab-vest?

the locust · 10-07-2008 03:44PM

RSU have a uniform, i seen them down the college, dark blue combat pants but still quite smart looking with a creese. Poloshirt and a checkered firearms baseball cap. Although RSU are never alone.

Could have been any plain clothes unit detecives ctf drugs ocu

steven22 · 10-07-2008 03:52PM

its their summer uniform for the rostered staff. Not all gardai e.g trainee guards will have the uniform.

Eru · 11-07-2008 11:17AM

steven22 wrote: »

its their summer uniform for the rostered staff. Not all gardai e.g trainee guards will have the uniform.

What do you mean rostered staff? Rostered for RSU duties?

metman · 11-07-2008 11:47AM

the locust wrote: »

RSU have a uniform, i seen them down the college, dark blue combat pants but still quite smart looking with a creese. Poloshirt and a checkered firearms baseball cap. Although RSU are never alone.

Could have been any plain clothes unit detecives ctf drugs ocu

On a more trivial note, why have the Guards opted for a checkered baseball cap? Is it that this is now a recognised symbol for armed police in the UK and Eire? I personally always associated it with UK police, and pics I've seen of ERU in baseball caps, have been navy with Garda in gold.

Why this change to UK uniform pattern?

spannerotoole · 11-07-2008 12:19PM

Perhaps they are appealing to skangers

TheNog · 11-07-2008 01:35PM

or nicked them from the english police

spannerotoole · 11-07-2008 04:33PM

or perhaps sasanachs

Why do Skangers wear Burberry?
Because it sounds like Burglary.

yayamark · 11-07-2008 04:48PM

the locust wrote: »

RSU have a uniform, i seen them down the college, dark blue combat pants but still quite smart looking with a creese. Poloshirt and a checkered firearms baseball cap. Although RSU are never alone.

Could have been any plain clothes unit detecives ctf drugs ocu

That uniform youve seen is just a training uniform for mucking about, a proper uniform is on the way

metman · 11-07-2008 09:48PM

spannerotoole wrote: »

Perhaps they are appealing to skangers

Thanks for the insight. Priceless.

CharlieCroker · 16-07-2008 09:15PM

can i be ignorant and ask what RSU means?? road safety unit?????

source · 16-07-2008 10:09PM

Regional Support Unit.

Jack O'Neill · 31-08-2008 10:44PM

Tuesday August 12 2008

The garda wardrobe is to be extended at a cost more than €12m, as the force prepares for a major makeover.

Gardai are to be provided with a new range of safety gear, including state-of-the-art body armour and stab vests as they up their efforts to stamp out violent crime.

A massive contract has been awarded to a Monaghan company who will now be charged with dressing the entire force for the next three years.

Included in the new attire will be a fashionable new uniform, ballistic equipment and public order equipment.

The contact, which was advertised by the Government Supplyies Agency, is worth €12.69m to James Boylan Safety Ltd.

The company, which operates from five office and warehouse bases around the country, will supply clothing until the end of 2011.

The firm already hold the contracts for other high profile customers including the Defence Forces.

Listed among the items are a “new look” uniform, including tunics, polo-shirts, T-shirts, rainsuits, shirts and trousers.

A new range of helmets and anti-stab vests will also be purchased as gardai continue to face more vicious criminals. The order also includes public order coveralls and riot shields.

Announcing the move, Junior Finance Minister Dr Martin Mansergh said that it was the “largest ever uniform contract”.

The last selection of uniforms cost around €5m and seven years ago it was just over €1m.

The exact design of the new uniform will not be revealed until later this year, but it is expected to be visible on the streets by next summer.

JonAnderton · 01-09-2008 12:29AM

Baseball caps are ideal for a number of reasons, including

: They're easy to (conceal if in plain clothes), just tuck them in your waistband and easy to put on and off quickly

: Will generally stay on your head if running down the street, Glock in hand

: People can identify them easily from any angle, as opposed to a raid jacket and people will generally look at someones face/head first...

Eru · 01-09-2008 09:26AM

JonAnderton wrote: »

Baseball caps are ideal for a number of reasons, including

: They're easy to (conceal if in plain clothes), just tuck them in your waistband and easy to put on and off quickly

: Will generally stay on your head if running down the street, Glock in hand

: People can identify them easily from any angle, as opposed to a raid jacket and people will generally look at someones face/head first...

More comfortable as well and I would inagine, cheaper and easier to replace.

Tango Alpha 51 · 02-09-2008 05:10PM

metman wrote: »

On a more trivial note, why have the Guards opted for a checkered baseball cap? Is it that this is now a recognised symbol for armed police in the UK and Eire? I personally always associated it with UK police, and pics I've seen of ERU in baseball caps, have been navy with Garda in gold.

Why this change to UK uniform pattern?

Metman,
It's not just AGS who have done this. Mangement of the ambulance service adopted the green pant/white shirt that most of the NHS services in the UK use. Also what is really upsetting is we had a distinctive logo before we became a national service like AGS. Lo & behold our "new" logo arrives out. It's identical to the NHS logo except the English crown was replaced with an Irish Harp. The mind boggles.

On a side issue, I'm glad to see a different company than the one based up North getting a contract for the supply of uniforms. I hope that the new uniforms are better quality than what we got

Airport · 03-12-2008 11:33PM

Seen the new AGS Bomber Jacket today, very profesional looking have to admit.

It seem like alot of the emergency service seem in the process of updating the operational uniforms at the momment. Good to see!

FGR · 04-12-2008 12:35AM

Where did you see this, Airport? I'm interested in seeing it myself!

The most important thing coming is the new Hi Vis, IMO.

AlekSmart · 04-12-2008 02:15AM

All of this uniformity has stimulated my grey cells(!)

Many years ago in the era when the Vauxhall Victor 3300 (Straight 6 engine out of the Ventora) was a front-line squad car I seem to remember Garda drivers having a distinctive cap.

The drivers cap (If thats what it was) was of a smaller diameter with a far flatter profile and broader soft rim.

Any of the boring old farts on board confirm or deny this hazy recollection ?

pa990 · 04-12-2008 09:24AM

AlekSmart wrote: »

All of this uniformity has stimulated my grey cells(!)

Many years ago in the era when the Vauxhall Victor 3300 (Straight 6 engine out of the Ventora) was a front-line squad car I seem to remember Garda drivers having a distinctive cap.

The drivers cap (If thats what it was) was of a smaller diameter with a far flatter profile and broader soft rim.

Any of the boring old farts on board confirm or deny this hazy recollection ?

They were 'floppy' caps, they did exist.. but not for too long,

doingmybit · 04-12-2008 11:31AM

I would say that the RSU would go around in two's min. not just one as the original poster said, so i would say it's a guy who got his hands on a unmarked car, through his highvis in the back (as you stand out like a beacon driving around), doesn't wear a shirt / tie but the polo shirt and as regulation states, you are not insured out there if you haven't your stab vest on, so hense the stab vest over there polo shirt. Why, he took so little time, i would say just a regular traffic stop. mmmmm;)

Jay112 · 04-12-2008 11:58AM

Airport wrote: »

Seen the new AGS Bomber Jacket today, very profesional looking have to admit.

It seem like alot of the emergency service seem in the process of updating the operational uniforms at the momment. Good to see!

Weve a new bomber jacket??

SV · 04-12-2008 01:16PM

http://www.kelticclothing.co.uk/images/hi-vis-stab-vest-new.jpg

Won't be long

Garda Uniform

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