Garda Reserve Experiences

civdef wrote: »

This is the sort of question which leads to ill-feeling.
Which of them will have more experience in terms of hours on duty? How about training? Maybe powers?

No more ill feeling than some of the previous posts aimed at the GR's. The point is that in time there will be GR's that have more experience than full time members.

McCrack wrote: »

In an ideal world yes.

A 'Peace Officer' is not everybody and anybody who assists a member.
A 'Peace Officer' is defined by s19 of POA1994 and amended by s185 of the CJA2006 to be a Garda, Prison Officer, Army, Fire Brigade and Ambulance Officer only.

A Garda Geserve is a member of An Garda Siochana with the rank of Garda Reserve. Therefore A Garda Reserve is a peace officer. It's in black and white look it up.

McCrack wrote: »

For the record I'd be very interested to know actually. Could you point me specifically to these black and white sources you claim it is written in?

Garda Siochana Act 2005. Check out S3. Interpretation. Have a look at what S.15 says:(3) Subject to subsection (5), a reserve member has, while on duty,the same powers, immunities, privileges and duties as a personappointed under section 14 to the rank of garda.So the powers are there they just haven't been rolled out yet.Here is the link. http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=4359&CatID=87

McCrack wrote: »

In an ideal world yes.

A 'Peace Officer' is not everybody and anybody who assists a member.
A 'Peace Officer' is defined by s19 of POA1994 and amended by s185 of the CJA2006 to be a Garda, Prison Officer, Army, Fire Brigade and Ambulance Officer only.

I was told Student Gardai are now covered as 'peace officers' under the legislation as well as GR... "members of An Garda Siochana"

Bren1609 wrote: »

In effect what your saying is that if there was no GR, AGS would have all the equipment and resources that they need. Remind me who is being naive???

Dont know how you got that flippant statement from what he said!?

But yeah if there were no GR.... obviously the budget money would be spent on something, most likely better equipment i.e. tetra, pepper spray, vehicles and better training/cpd would it not???

"They'll have my support if I ever meet one - 300, really?!"

Woa woa woa didn't you ever see the film 300- they kicked ass against hundreds of thousands

I wish People would get off the garda reserves backs- it is challenging enough without getting roasted from "traffic" people no less- who have an unbelievable slice of the budget rite now and give out about maybe a couple of million (at most) that the reserve gets what harm do they do?

the reserves can only get better- can learn from mistakes and time will iron out any minor "bumps". Most of them just want to help out and are not power hungry at all, in fact i've talked to many reserve who say they joined because they are concerned about what way their community is turning for their kids.

Crime gets worse in this country every year- it is the people themselves who can help lower crime so whats the harm in having a "liason" between the community and the gardai- if that liason is the reserve then so be it.

If neighbours know that a garda reserve lives beside them or close to them- i ask you will it make them feel more secure?

I’ve thought a lot before posting this as I don’t want to come across as Garda bashing etc. However this is just a collection of my opinions which are, probably unfortunately, not edited.

The Gardai on here who dismiss the GR as a waste of time due to their “powerlessness” or the fact they’ve to be “babysat” should really look at the message they are sending across. Perhaps, in fact, it’s time for a refresher course on Customer Service.

Your job is to only enforce the law when the Law needs enforcing. The rest of the time you are meant to be guardians of the peace in the interests of the public. You are public servants whose very presence should instil respect but more than that security.

I know it’s great when you’re talking up your job to your mates to go on about how interesting and exciting it is. Foot chases, car chases, catching baddies and cleaning up the streets but whilst that’s what’s portrayed that’s not actually what happens.

For every chase there’s 30 perfectly reasonable conversations with the public that don’t involve any skills beyond what a reserve has from his day-to-day life. For every arrest there’s 100 nods to civilians to reassure them by a simple police presence. Do the contemptuous Gardai on here think there’s any particular skill to wearing a uniform or being seen walking the streets?

While the Reserve might cry out for more powers to somehow save the world and feel unnecessary without them it’s not your role. You are not to replace the Gardai but to support them. In fact forget about AGS altogether. You support and reassure the public. That is your role and one that because you fill a uniform you do reasonably well.

This business of being babysat should not even arise. Only the worst kind of Garda think they are somehow in desperate conflict with Joe public 24 hours a day. We hear stuff like “if I’m in a fight I’ll have to look after the reservist”. The answer to that is no you won’t. Look after yourself first obviously. Also will a fight occur easier when a person sees there is two near indistinguishable Gardai instead of one? How many shifts have you had where you’ve done nothing except patrol around with no hint of violence etc. Seriously get a grip. Anyone who’s willing to fight a reservist would be willing to fight a full timer but perhaps wouldn’t be willing to fight two people.

To full time members I say the following. The danger here is that the Reserve was set up as a Public Relations stunt. However it was not the PR stunt that full time members think it was when they’re justifying their dislike and mistrust of volunteers. The Reserve is a PR exercise on behalf of AGS as an organisation. It is a way for the public to get a glimpse at the workings of a closed and in some areas discredited organisation. They could then provide the best of PR. Accurate, incisive and creditable stories about the difficulties and hardship full timers operate under.

It must be plain to many Gardai that in a lot of areas they are despised. In my opinion irrationally but that’s not to say without reason ridiculous as we might find them. The “bad apple” defence doesn’t work because as a force that is now in some way under siege the audience for such a defence is vastly diminished. Gardai are now seen as solely representing AGS.

However they than get a group of eager, vibrant, enthusiastic people who for the most part seek nothing more than to help the public. In return for which they are abused and dismissed on here, in public and in the media. The Gardai complain about being vilified but for the most part care nothing for the fact that their colleagues (because they are colleagues) get it worse. How long before AGS wrecks the confidence of their volunteers and suddenly reaps the whirlwind of a disgruntled and demoralised group of civilians with intimate knowledge of the workings of AGS?

So we disband the Reserve. Does nobody foresee public criticism of that? AGS might say it’s because of wasted man hours or whatever oul shoite they like but let us be honest. The meeja and, through them the public, will see AGS as desperately covering themselves from public scrutiny. It could be a PR disaster and shock to public confidence on the scale of the blue flu.

metman wrote: »

Its not just about being a uniform carrier though is it? The reason police training is lengthy and diverse is quite simply because when you put on the uniform and 'walk the streets' you are expected to be able to deal with any eventuality that arises, be it a lost child or a terrorist attack. More than that you are duty bound to deal with it.

Which is why Reserve patrol with a full time member.

They should take their lead from him.