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Garda Reserve Experiences

Bradidup

Dose anyone know that if you get in as a reserve are you posted to another part of the city?
I got an e mail from them wondering if i was still interested in an interview. I sent it off two weeks ago. I was told by a cop that the turn over rate is high.

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gilly0512

[QUOTE=egan007;56794192]Why don't you just become a Guard if it's powers you are after?
What did you expect, the state would bestow power outside the law?[/QUOTE]

Have you read any of the postings in this thread, for if you had you would have seen that most Gardai (even the ones opposed to the Reserve) have all stated that Reserves should be given more powers. Having more powers is not about running around arresting people, its about been able to properly assist your colleagues should the need arise, it would definitely give us a better standing within An Garda Siochana, and god forbid even make us feel more like proper Gardai when on duty. As regards joining the regular, sadly some of us are over 35, so it is not an option, but not everybody who is a Reserve wants to be a regular.

the locust

I dont think GR have enough training to be given more powers. More powers would mean a hell of a lot more paper, files and court for them, of which i don't think they are trained for or prepared to take on.

CO19

True,but then on the other hand they shouldn't join up if they aren't prepared to do that stuff also so there fore the people that will join up if more powers are given will know what they are expected to do.

gordotempo

Can we put this thread to bed now? I think all points have been made.

CO19

Good idea

The almighty me

Hi, Its amazing to see all the people who come across very well on this thread very concerned about being accepted by the GR, then terrible to hear all the negative press about how the GR is a failure, it is not a failure in my opinion, just a little slower thats all, I think it a great thing and this will be recognised eventually.:)

ZoneAlarm

The almighty me wrote: »

Hi, Its amazing to see all the people who come across very well on this thread very concerned about being accepted by the GR, then terrible to hear all the negative press about how the GR is a failure, it is not a failure in my opinion, just a little slower thats all, I think it a great thing and this will be recognised eventually.:)

Yes mate it sure is as i am sure they will do a wonderful job just like the regulars do its all new here as i have read from previous posts so it is just a matter of time everyone has to start somewhere same as the regulars did but as soon as they see what a good job the RG can do and make even a small bit of difference is it not better than nothing at all in place

I know the Reserves in the Uk have a lot more power etc but that will all come in time i am sure they had to take baby steps as well just like over here and learn to be accepted as well into the fold it is all a matter of the regular guys trusting you on their unit to watch their backs remember they have got to know all their other colleagues and their weakness and strength so all i say is to the people who have all ready made it thru hang in there and best of luck

I do think that its not just the acceptance of being a reserve but for all the trouble you and me and others have gone thru getting forms filled doing interviews gathering all the information on our relatives alive and dead trying to trace their DOB etc it certainly takes up a bit of time and then to be refused because something is not 100% like missing references or something in your past etc it can be very frustrating and disheartening for some people

Murphy(Cork)

Being in the Reserve, all I can say is, don't believe everything you hear or read in the media.

ZoneAlarm

Well i have read the whole lot of this thread and think that some of the posts are well over the top

Firstly i would just like to say all full time members had to learn the same way as the reserves will you have to start somewhere although they will never have all the powers that full time members will have well why should they after all the full time members have put a lot of time and training into their profession

Every day we do a job we are learning it is a learning curve and nobody knows it all even if they say they do the same as everybody makes mistakes from time to time show me a person who never made a mistake in their entire life

I am sure the GR will at some point get extra powers but hay lets wait for them and not rush it all things take time and consideration

There is just a couple of things that maybe the full time members or the now 1 or 2 year GR will be able to answer for me

Ok you are out on patrol with a gr and say going thru Temple Bar and you the full member see a disturbance happening so you go over to sort it out next thing it gets out of control and it starts to get heated and tempers start flaring and next thing someone throws a punch into the equation so you as the full time member start to arrest that person under the public order what would you like the gr to do stand there and do nothing while another mate of his is trying to pull him away from you or start abusing you or assist you even though they dont have the right to arrest for public order offenses

What would you think if the Gr just stood there and said well i cant get involved in this as i cant arrest them and might get myself into trouble
so i will just call for backup which could be 10 mins or more away in the mean time you are taking a hammering from his other mate as well

I would just like to see what the response would be to these questions at the end of the day i would hope if i was the full time member with the gr that he/she would assist rather than standing by watching

kilkcat

supra888 wrote: »

just read that whole thread on the GR and thought to myself why bother..
i'm a 35 year old sane bloke ( not power hungry hitler type or any of that sh1t )that was considering applying to become a reservist to do something constructive with my free time ,but while i could handle abuse from drunks etc why should i sign up to be treated with distain from people i am trying to help (full time members )...

well said.why would anyone bother.

Eru

kilkcat wrote: »

well said.why would anyone bother.

Hang on a second, a lot of fulltime members such as myself have openly defended the reserves on this thread and work, support and assist them everyday.

remember that each person will develope an opinion based on experience. If that limited experience with a reserve is good or bad will obviously impact on that opinion.

I for one have worked with half a dozen reserves at this stage. Theres only 1 thats a complete lamp so while I can also look at the other 5 too form my opinion imagine if the only reserve in the station was the complete and utter tool?

ZoneAlarm

Would it not be in all the full time members interests to get the GR and ok maybe show them the way things should be done and i dont mean babysit them either they have to learn to stand on their own two feet but would it not be better to be given the help from the full timers on the beat etc as to what they should be doing

Everyone has to start somewhere as i have said before we did not one day get up and say i know everything

Maybe if the full time members see a GR doing something wrong dont stand back and wait for the s**t to hit the fan why not take him/her aside and have a quiet word and tell them the correct way to do it and that way they wont make the same mistake twice

Also maybe when out on the beat maybe tell the GR what you expect them to do should anything happen that way he /she will know what to do instead of just looking foolish it is not the GR fault they have been thrown in at the deep end but a little help goes a long way and also helps all concerned

It is like all jobs when you start first you are new so everything is strange to all concerned

I myself would not mind someone saying to me well ok you are out on the beat with me tonight or day what ever this is what i want you to do let me do all the talking and you watch and learn what to say or do should you come across this incident which someday you might also if something is to go wrong do this this and this that way the GR would know what to do and would save a lot of confusion and misunderstanding should anything happen its like riding a bike once you learn you wont forget

Hope people dont take offense to this or any other post i have made i myself will be someday prob be in the same position and would like to think someone is watching out for me like i would for others regardless of their status

Marcus.Aurelius

I respect the GR members who join to assist rather than to act the big boy around their mates.

I do not accept the GR as an alternative to regular members, like the govt seem to think. They certainly have a place in the job, but not as substitutes. If we had decent manpower, AND the GR as an assistant rather than a substitute, I would welcome it.

Having said that, the GR are not under the same disciplinary system as the full-time members, they do not stand to lose their job and their pension when they mess up. That difference is key. I've heard enough from colleagues to convince me that it isn't worth my job to babysit some of them with more rash tendencies.

I welcome the GR as an idea, but not in its current form with the lack of repercussions for bad behaviour and the way the government views them as a substitute for better manpower, funding or equipment. Sorry.

That's the way a lot of full-time members think, so I guess the reservists have to accept that and work to change these opinions.

ZoneAlarm

Joker wrote: »

I respect the GR members who join to assist rather than to act the big boy around their mates.

I do not accept the GR as an alternative to regular members, like the govt seem to think. They certainly have a place in the job, but not as substitutes. If we had decent manpower, AND the GR as an assistant rather than a substitute, I would welcome it.

Having said that, the GR are not under the same disciplinary system as the full-time members, they do not stand to lose their job and their pension when they mess up. That difference is key. I've heard enough from colleagues to convince me that it isn't worth my job to babysit some of them with more rash tendencies.

I totall agree with your first comment and yes that might happen with maybe younger immature Gr but what about the older ones that dont behave like that do you think they fall into the same categories

On your second answer yes quiet true they prob dont come under the same disciplinary system as full time members that is why i suggested that maybe when you see them doing something wrong have a quiet word and put them straight remember when you where a student Garda(ie new kid on the block) i am sure you prob made mistakes and would have loved someone to say to you dont do it that way this is the correct procedure we all have to start somewhere

So maybe the ones that have the rash tendencies should be guided and not dismissed there is no need to babysit the Gr really i am sure they will learn in time just need a little direction that is all

Also if someone could explain babysitting to me in what way are the full time members doing this is it not like doing the same for a student Guard which you where all at some time and another thing would you like to think that the full time members thought of you in the same way

Experience is a learning curve and we are learning every day of our lives until we die as no 2 days are the same so a different experience comes with it and makes us stronger to pass our experience on to the less experienced

ZoneAlarm

Well done mate glad you are up and running maybe you could post your experiences on the forum for other members to read like myself

It is nice to get a bigger picture of exactly what is happening out there and what you come across in your everyday patrol weather on the desk or on patrol

Marcus.Aurelius

If student gardaí mess up they lose their jobs and their career. Same for full-time members.

If GR mess up they lose a hobby. There is no discipline to prevent them acting the gombeen. That's dangerous, and they can get their babysitter into the huge disciplinary mess as well while they get off relatively unscathed. You see the problem?

EDIT: Can you use more punctuation in your posts, my eyes are tired reading them, sentences merging for no reason.

ZoneAlarm

Yes sorry about that

What i am saying, is it not possible for the full time members to tell them the right and wrong way. Ok it might look like babysitting them, but it is only for a short period until they know better, is it not better to teach them the correct way, rather than leaving them to their own devices.

That way you would know it is been done right, without and worries or concerns, plus it would help them do a better job, and maybe make things easier for all concerned .

Marcus.Aurelius

ZoneAlarm wrote: »

Yes sorry about that

What i am saying, is it not possible for the full time members to tell them the right and wrong way. Ok it might look like babysitting them, but it is only for a short period until they know better, is it not better to teach them the correct way, rather than leaving them to their own devices.

That way you would know it is been done right, without and worries or concerns, plus it would help them do a better job, and maybe make things easier for all concerned .

I've no problem with lads helping the GRs out, they are only learning after all. We're stuck with them and might as well help them out. But I ain't doing it

, too risky for my taste.

ZoneAlarm

Joker wrote: »

I've no problem with lads helping the GRs out, they are only learning after all. We're stuck with them and might as well help them out. But I ain't doing it , too risky for my taste.

So are you saying, that if you where out with a GR one night, and he/she got into difficulty, are you saying that you would not help or back them up, as they would back you up ? Or did i misunderstand you saying, that you would not do it,ie back them up as it is to Risky!! for your taste.?

Marcus.Aurelius

ZoneAlarm wrote: »

So are you saying, that if you where out with a GR one night, and he/she got into difficulty, are you saying that you would not help or back them up, as they would back you up ? Or did i misunderstand you saying, that you would not do it,ie back them up as it is to Risky!! for your taste.?

I work in Traffic Corps. I don't go for public order overtime unless I get matched up with a full-timer. If I was a Garda, I would have no choice.

If one gets into difficulty, of course I'm going to help them. I said I wasn't interested in helping them learn about the job, i.e. walking the beat with them all day.

EDIT: Sorry for the confusion

ZoneAlarm

No bother mate glad you cleared that little misunderstanding up for me, perhaps one day you will get the pleasure of working with them, that way you will have first hand experience for yourself, and that way be able to judge for yourself.

I am sure all the old Gr have the hang of things by now what they should and should not do, so any of the new Gr can take their advice, on things they are not sure about.

And maybe someday, the the Gr will get into traffic as well as the rest just like the Uk have done, i would say it will only be a matter of time before they follow suit here.

metman

ZoneAlarm wrote: »

And maybe someday, the the Gr will get into traffic as well as the rest just like the Uk have done, i would say it will only be a matter of time before they follow suit here.

Just to pick you up on that.....Specials (GR equivalent) aren't permitted to join specialist units such as Traffic here. They're mostly used on neighbourhood/community policing teams and for reassurance work.

As an aside, I was annoyed to read in the paper today that Home Secretary Jackie Smith has announced an additional 2.5 million for recruitment of Specials, meanwhile the regs are still waiting for their agreed payrise...a payrise we were told the government couldn't afford......:rolleyes:

ZoneAlarm

Yep was just throwing that into the pot LOL

here is the list of what they can do in the uk

What you'll be doing

Each of the 43 forces has their own special constabulary and what you'll find yourself doing is likely to vary. Unlike a Police Community Support Officer, you will have the same powers as a regular officer so you could find yourself:

helping in the event of accidents, fights or fires
road safety initiatives
house to house enquiries
foot patrol
helping safeguard public safety and security at local or major events
working in schools to talk about safety and crime
presenting evidence in court
'hotspot' operations to tackle underage drinking, criminal damage and nuisance/public order
offering crime prevention advice and promoting property marketing initiatives.

THIS IS FOR THE UK SPECIALS NOT IRISH GR

metman

What irritates me and most of my colleagues is that every Special you speak to says they joined up to assist regular officers, which sounds fair enough and we're always glad of an extra pair of hands. However, try posting a Special as gaoler or station officer to free up a couple of regs, they'll moan and moan and simply not turn in for duty next time round, because 'its not what they signed up to do!' :eek:

Many Specials here think that they should be entitled to be out answering calls on blues because 'that's what police do'. My view is that if you want to do what the police do, then join the police. If you want to assist the police, then assist me by working on a community team, gaolering, or manning the front office and not moaning about not being out taking response calls. Funnily enough the majority of Specials I've met who have this attitude also are in jobs on civvie street where they earn good money and have nice lifestyles. As a hobby they simply want to do the more interesting and exciting parts of my job, without having to take a paycut and deal with the griefier and sh*ttier bits. Strangely enough I don't have much time for these types.

ZoneAlarm

Yes mate totally agree with you there on that, most jobs now of days you have to start at the bottom, and work your way up i think it is only fair you work your way around, and do what is required of you.

Eru

Zone and Joker,
theres a big difference from supporting and helping a reserve with how too do things or if he finds himself under pressure while correctly doing his job (ie a public order prisoner) and covering him when he is acting the dick.

Zone,
Im pretty sure Joker would not suggest standing back and letting anyone be assaulted regardless of who, where or how.

gilly0512

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Zone and Joker,
theres a big difference from supporting and helping a reserve with how too do things or if he finds himself under pressure while correctly doing his job (ie a public order prisoner) and covering him when he is acting the dick.

Zone,
Im pretty sure Joker would not suggest standing back and letting anyone be assaulted regardless of who, where or how.

As a Reserve I would support the immediate dismissal of any Reserve acting the dick, and I would hope that they are few and far between. In response to Metman, every reserve or special out there loves the thought of flying around in a squad car blue lighting it through their town or city in response to some incident, but at the end of the day I, and I would hope most other Reserves realise that we are there to free up regulars, so if this means station duty or foot patrol 95% of the time, so be it. However in relation to the Reserves, again we are very limited, as we are not allowed to be a member in charge, and therefore are not allowed any responsibility for prisoners, are Specials allowed to look after prisoners Metman?

civdef

When I was a Special way back when, I spent a good few evenings looking after POL1 (potentially self-harming) prisoners- and catching up on my reading at the same time. Wasn't exactly a bag of laughs or excitement, but it was as much a part of the job as anything else. Generally speaking, if the Sgt. saw you were willing to take on the boring jobs too, you got more respect for it, and wouldn't get stuck with it too often.

metman

gilly2308 wrote: »

However in relation to the Reserves, again we are very limited, as we are not allowed to be a member in charge, and therefore are not allowed any responsibility for prisoners, are Specials allowed to look after prisoners Metman?

As CD posted, Specials can indeed act as Gaoler here and look after prisoners. We also have civvy DDOs (dedicated detention officers) who perform the same role, but mostly during daytime hours, so having a civvy look after prisoners isn't an issue here as its covered in the legislation.

deadwood

Joker wrote: »

I work:eek: in Traffic Corps. I don't go for public order overtime unless I get matched up with a full-timer. If I was a Garda, I would have no choice.

Typical Traffic Corpse. I guess some pigs are more equal than others, eh?