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Garda Reserve Experiences
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Hi,
Im unclear about a Reserve Garda's power of arrest. Has any reserve arrested anyone yet? What was the experience?
Thanks.0 -
Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,748 CMod ✭✭✭✭
Join Date:Posts: 8146
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As my co-mod saidTake a look at the sticky called "Garda Reserve Guide". There's a link to a thread which answers your question.Hi,
Im unclear about a Reserve Garda's power of arrest. Has any reserve arrested anyone yet? What was the experience?
Thanks.
... also, maybe ask this question in here and revive that thread.0 -
Yeah I have found over the years that a majority of the full-time members are very freindly. I have been in the reserves for three years nearly and i have never once recieved any negative reactions to me as a Garda Reserve.
At first i did exactly that- shut up and watch and learn- in that order:D
The trick is to remember the rank- Garda Reserves are below a rank to a Garda- the same way a Garda is below the rank of a Sgt, deference is required to regular gardai. You will always take their lead.
I dont know about other Reserves but i get a call every second week from the sgt asking me to come in. I enjoy every shift and i get on extremely well with other members- some of whom were students in the station when i was a reserve:)
I personally think the Garda Reserve is a great concept but as you said- there are some who get through the net.
Good luck to all new members0 -
Hi all. I originally posted this in the 'regular' Garda recruitment forum. Perhaps it would be of more intrest to the posters here as it contains comment on the reserves.
From the Belfast Telegraph written by Jim Cusack 24th May 2010.
Pehaps it's somewhat out of date now, but non-the-less it makes for intresting reading.
Garda hopefuls look to join PSNIOver 1,000 people in the Republic, including garda reservists, have applied to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) since a recruitment embargo on the gardai came into effect.
In the last recruitment campaign to the PSNI, which closed in February, 1,004 out of a total of 8,984 applicants listed "home addresses in RoI", the PSNI press office said.
The trend is likely to continue because a new streamlined training regime was being introduced for new gardai just as the recruitment ban came in. Garda trainers have themselves yet to retrain, so this could further delay the next recruitment intake which Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he hoped to see take place later this year.
Gardai say they are expecting an overwhelming response to the next recruitment campaign. With take-home pay and allowances for relatively young gardai at around €40,000 a year, along with the guaranteed pension scheme, it is expected that thousands will apply for the next campaign.
Among those applying for jobs in the PSNI are members of the Garda Reserve who volunteered for unpaid police work in the hope that it would pave a way into the force. A number of these are applying to the PSNI because they are past the age limit for recruitment to the gardai of 35.
The PSNI does not have such a limit and decides on recruits on the basis of ability and fitness as opposed to age.
Garda sources say that some reservists are becoming frustrated at the lack of any advancement system, and many feel they are being confined to menial work.
There were some cases bordering on harassment in the early stages after the Garda Representative Association came out strongly against the formation of the Reserve.
Sources say antipathy has died down, but confirm that duties that reservists perform are limited.
The reservists are not allowed to drive cars, make arrests, issue summonses, or use pepper sprays.
Gardai say that in many stations there appears to be confusion over what reservists can and cannot do and in many instances, they say, they are either left to sit in stations or in the back of squad cars.
Other stations take a more active approach and regularly place reservists on the beat, as was envisaged by the then - Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell when he introduced the Reserve in 2006.
So far about 700 people have volunteered for the unpaid work and about 600 are allocated to stations. Many joined with the idea of seeing what police work was like with a view to joining the regular force if they enjoyed the work.
Around 50 who had applied to join the regular force before joining the Reserve were accepted as regular members during the big recruitment drive up to 2007.
However, since then, it is understood, very few if any have been accepted into the ranks of the regular force.
The Garda Press Office said it did not have numbers available for the number of reservists who had applied to join the full-time ranks or had been recruited full time.
The last intake to the gardai is understood to have contained no reservists and had an unusually large number of recruits with family members already serving in the force.
Gardai say that though the reservist scheme is now four years old, it does not appear to be developing in ways that volunteer reservist schemes in other jurisdictions have.
In the UK, reservists, or 'special constables' who show commitment and ability are actively encouraged to join the full-time ranks.
The UK police also have a Police Community Support Officer scheme of salaried police officers who deal with day-to-day community policing. Many special constables join this, and those who show ability continue into the regular0 -
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Hi all. I originally posted this in the 'regular' Garda recruitment forum. Perhaps it would be of more intrest to the posters here as it contains comment on the reserves.
From the Belfast Telegraph written by Jim Cusack 24th May 2010.
Pehaps it's somewhat out of date now, but non-the-less it makes for intresting reading.
Garda hopefuls look to join PSNIOver 1,000 people in the Republic, including garda reservists, have applied to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) since a recruitment embargo on the gardai came into effect.
In the last recruitment campaign to the PSNI, which closed in February, 1,004 out of a total of 8,984 applicants listed "home addresses in RoI", the PSNI press office said.
The trend is likely to continue because a new streamlined training regime was being introduced for new gardai just as the recruitment ban came in. Garda trainers have themselves yet to retrain, so this could further delay the next recruitment intake which Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he hoped to see take place later this year.
Gardai say they are expecting an overwhelming response to the next recruitment campaign. With take-home pay and allowances for relatively young gardai at around €40,000 a year, along with the guaranteed pension scheme, it is expected that thousands will apply for the next campaign.
Among those applying for jobs in the PSNI are members of the Garda Reserve who volunteered for unpaid police work in the hope that it would pave a way into the force. A number of these are applying to the PSNI because they are past the age limit for recruitment to the gardai of 35.
The PSNI does not have such a limit and decides on recruits on the basis of ability and fitness as opposed to age.
Garda sources say that some reservists are becoming frustrated at the lack of any advancement system, and many feel they are being confined to menial work.
There were some cases bordering on harassment in the early stages after the Garda Representative Association came out strongly against the formation of the Reserve.
Sources say antipathy has died down, but confirm that duties that reservists perform are limited.
The reservists are not allowed to drive cars, make arrests, issue summonses, or use pepper sprays.
Gardai say that in many stations there appears to be confusion over what reservists can and cannot do and in many instances, they say, they are either left to sit in stations or in the back of squad cars.
Other stations take a more active approach and regularly place reservists on the beat, as was envisaged by the then - Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell when he introduced the Reserve in 2006.
So far about 700 people have volunteered for the unpaid work and about 600 are allocated to stations. Many joined with the idea of seeing what police work was like with a view to joining the regular force if they enjoyed the work.
Around 50 who had applied to join the regular force before joining the Reserve were accepted as regular members during the big recruitment drive up to 2007.
However, since then, it is understood, very few if any have been accepted into the ranks of the regular force.
The Garda Press Office said it did not have numbers available for the number of reservists who had applied to join the full-time ranks or had been recruited full time.
The last intake to the gardai is understood to have contained no reservists and had an unusually large number of recruits with family members already serving in the force.
Gardai say that though the reservist scheme is now four years old, it does not appear to be developing in ways that volunteer reservist schemes in other jurisdictions have.
In the UK, reservists, or 'special constables' who show commitment and ability are actively encouraged to join the full-time ranks.
The UK police also have a Police Community Support Officer scheme of salaried police officers who deal with day-to-day community policing. Many special constables join this, and those who show ability continue into the regular
Seen this before...it's wildly out of date...and I don't know what station the RGuard sits in the back of the squad car in...if that happend where I'm stationed you'd be run out of town by both gougers and the ft'ers0 -
Seen this before...it's wildly out of date...and I don't know what station the RGuard sits in the back of the squad car in...if that happend where I'm stationed you'd be run out of town by both gougers and the ft'ers
Most RGda i know sit in the back seat of the car, as its 2 full timers are in the car also and u go in peckin order?!?!0 -
Seen this before...it's wildly out of date...and I don't know what station the RGuard sits in the back of the squad car in...if that happend where I'm stationed you'd be run out of town by both gougers and the ft'ers
Of course I realise it's somewhat out of date and there is great progress since the inception of the GR and their powers and long may that continue, but probally not everone has read it and there is some intresting comment and info in it regarding how reserves have developed in the UK et cetera. I see someone has allready thanked me for posting it. Not all of it is 'wildy out of date' a lot is actually factual. I did mention when posting it that it is 'somewhat out of date'. Anyone could see what is not now true and what is.
I thought perhaps a lot of people (not yourself obviously as you've read it before) would be intrested in reading it. That's all.
But I don't understand what you mean by a RG would be 'run out of town by both gougers and the ft'ers' if they sat in the back of a squad car? I guess you understand by the article that the journalist is implying or is incorrectly stating (due to uncertainty at the time re the GR and their role), that they (RG) just stay in the back of the car and never get involved in anything! That would completly defeat the purpose of the GR. Surely that would NEVER happen. I'm sure as the last poster pointed out that and I would also imagine, a RG would probally have to sit in the back of a Garda car (as a matter of pecking order) if he or she was out on patrol with 2 regular more experienced Gardai. I can understand that and would'nt have a problem with same.0 -
Of course I realise it's somewhat out of date and there is great progress since the inception of the GR and their powers and long may that continue, but probally not everone has read it and there is some intresting comment and info in it regarding how reserves have developed in the UK et cetera. I see someone has allready thanked me for posting it. Not all of it is 'wildy out of date' a lot is actually factual. I did mention when posting it that it is 'somewhat out of date'. Anyone could see what is not now true and what is.
I thought perhaps a lot of people (not yourself obviously as you've read it before) would be intrested in reading it. That's all.
But I don't understand what you mean by a RG would be 'run out of town by both gougers and the ft'ers' if they sat in the back of a squad car? I guess you understand by the article that the journalist is implying or is incorrectly stating (due to uncertainty at the time re the GR and their role), that they (RG) just stay in the back of the car and never get involved in anything! That would completly defeat the purpose of the GR. Surely that would NEVER happen. I'm sure as the last poster pointed out that and I would also imagine, a RG would probally have to sit in the back of a Garda car (as a matter of pecking order) if he or she was out on patrol with 2 regular more experienced Gardai. I can understand that and would'nt have a problem with same.
Basically what was meant by that was, if you were needed outside of the squad car and you sat back relaxing listening to the radio while Rome was burning outside you would go down like a lead ballon...of course you sit in the back of the car and none of us have any problems with that ....Yes I did get the feeling that the author of that article was implying that RGarda's just sit in the back of squad cars twiddling their thumbs without getting involved...and yes the fact that the Author states that we dont carry pepper sprays means the article is out of date. It's a cool peice on the Reserve and the PSNI applicants (of which I am a member) so thanks for posting it horse, if you got any feelings of hostility or anything from my previous post I apoligise...0 -
Basically what was meant by that was, if you were needed outside of the squad car and you sat back relaxing listening to the radio while Rome was burning outside you would go down like a lead ballon...of course you sit in the back of the car and none of us have any problems with that ....Yes I did get the feeling that the author of that article was implying that RGarda's just sit in the back of squad cars twiddling their thumbs without getting involved...and yes the fact that the Author states that we dont carry pepper sprays means the article is out of date. It's a cool peice on the Reserve and the PSNI applicants (of which I am a member) so thanks for posting it horse, if you got any feelings of hostility or anything from my previous post I apoligise...
Hi thanks, no hostility. I guess that initally there may have been some misleading talk 'put out' about the role of GR's as not everyone including SOME GRA menbers may have not been keen on same. Misleading scenarios may have been proposed i.e that a GR would just be left sitting in a Station or in the back of a Patrol Car as the regular menbers would'nt know what to do with them! Glad that never came to pass! I realise that's what you meant now?
One question I have for you. Has been a menber of the GR fuelled your ambition to be a full time officer? I believe you are a PSNI 'applicant'? I'm just over the age for the full time Garda myself, but I would'nt like to be in a position where IF I got into the GR and I loved it I could be driven demented if I could'nt apply for the full-time Gardai!?
p.s I would'nt apply to the PSNI. Personal reasons. Nothing against them or anything. I'm just not keen on NI I'm afraid. Just feel it would'nt be for me.0 -
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Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,748 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8146
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that a GR would just be left sitting in a Station or in the back of a Patrol Car as the regular menbers would'nt know what to do with them! Glad that never came to pass! I realise that's what you meant now?
Spot on there horse...One question I have for you. Has been a menber of the GR fuelled your ambition to be a full time officer? I believe you are a PSNI 'applicant'? I'm just over the age for the full time Garda myself, but I would'nt like to be in a position where IF I got into the GR and I loved it I could be driven demented if I could'nt apply for the full-time Gardai!?
That's a really good question. I believe fully that the police is the career for me, I have believed this since I was sixteen years of age. I was told from day one that I will never get into the Guards by friends, teachers and family, which only reinforced my determination to prove them wrong. Now that being said, having left school the Guards has only come up once, of which I missed by a few points at interview process. So I signed up for and joined the GR, which has given me an insight into what police-work is like, so that has fueled my hope that one day I will become a Guard/Constable, if anything being in the G/R has made me more impatient as I am so "excited" by the process of becoming and making it, that I get frustrated severely at recruitment bans and freezes.I would'nt apply to the PSNI.
the PSNI is one of the best, if not the best Police Force's in the world (no slight on AGS), the training and opportunities are second to none. I would have, say when I was in school, had mixed feeling's about joining the PSNI whether because of history or location. But a friend of the family put me in touch with a member from norn iron, and when I say five minuets in his company changed all those opinions around, I applied the next time it came up. If you get into the GR you will defo want to do some-sort of policing full-time.0 -
Spot on there horse...
That's a really good question. I believe fully that the police is the career for me, I have believed this since I was sixteen years of age. I was told from day one that I will never get into the Guards by friends, teachers and family, which only reinforced my determination to prove them wrong. Now that being said, having left school the Guards has only come up once, of which I missed by a few points at interview process. So I signed up for and joined the GR, which has given me an insight into what police-work is like, so that has fueled my hope that one day I will become a Guard/Constable, if anything being in the G/R has made me more impatient as I am so "excited" by the process of becoming and making it, that I get frustrated severely at recruitment bans and freezes.
the PSNI is one of the best, if not the best Police Force's in the world (no slight on AGS), the training and opportunities are second to none. I would have, say when I was in school, had mixed feeling's about joining the PSNI whether because of history or location. But a friend of the family put me in touch with a member from norn iron, and when I say five minuets in his company changed all those opinions around, I applied the next time it came up. If you get into the GR you will defo want to do some-sort of policing full-time.
Great info. Thanks. Your last sentance makes me wonder and I feel it would happen to me. I've got to go away and do some soul searching!0 -
Hi all. I originally posted this in the 'regular' Garda recruitment forum. Perhaps it would be of more intrest to the posters here as it contains comment on the reserves.
From the Belfast Telegraph written by Jim Cusack 24th May 2010.
Pehaps it's somewhat out of date now, but non-the-less it makes for intresting reading.
Garda hopefuls look to join PSNIOver 1,000 people in the Republic, including garda reservists, have applied to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) since a recruitment embargo on the gardai came into effect.
In the last recruitment campaign to the PSNI, which closed in February, 1,004 out of a total of 8,984 applicants listed "home addresses in RoI", the PSNI press office said.
The trend is likely to continue because a new streamlined training regime was being introduced for new gardai just as the recruitment ban came in. Garda trainers have themselves yet to retrain, so this could further delay the next recruitment intake which Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he hoped to see take place later this year.
Gardai say they are expecting an overwhelming response to the next recruitment campaign. With take-home pay and allowances for relatively young gardai at around €40,000 a year, along with the guaranteed pension scheme, it is expected that thousands will apply for the next campaign.
Among those applying for jobs in the PSNI are members of the Garda Reserve who volunteered for unpaid police work in the hope that it would pave a way into the force. A number of these are applying to the PSNI because they are past the age limit for recruitment to the gardai of 35.
The PSNI does not have such a limit and decides on recruits on the basis of ability and fitness as opposed to age.
Garda sources say that some reservists are becoming frustrated at the lack of any advancement system, and many feel they are being confined to menial work.
There were some cases bordering on harassment in the early stages after the Garda Representative Association came out strongly against the formation of the Reserve.
Sources say antipathy has died down, but confirm that duties that reservists perform are limited.
The reservists are not allowed to drive cars, make arrests, issue summonses, or use pepper sprays.
Gardai say that in many stations there appears to be confusion over what reservists can and cannot do and in many instances, they say, they are either left to sit in stations or in the back of squad cars.
Other stations take a more active approach and regularly place reservists on the beat, as was envisaged by the then - Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell when he introduced the Reserve in 2006.
So far about 700 people have volunteered for the unpaid work and about 600 are allocated to stations. Many joined with the idea of seeing what police work was like with a view to joining the regular force if they enjoyed the work.
Around 50 who had applied to join the regular force before joining the Reserve were accepted as regular members during the big recruitment drive up to 2007.
However, since then, it is understood, very few if any have been accepted into the ranks of the regular force.
The Garda Press Office said it did not have numbers available for the number of reservists who had applied to join the full-time ranks or had been recruited full time.
The last intake to the gardai is understood to have contained no reservists and had an unusually large number of recruits with family members already serving in the force.
Gardai say that though the reservist scheme is now four years old, it does not appear to be developing in ways that volunteer reservist schemes in other jurisdictions have.
In the UK, reservists, or 'special constables' who show commitment and ability are actively encouraged to join the full-time ranks.
The UK police also have a Police Community Support Officer scheme of salaried police officers who deal with day-to-day community policing. Many special constables join this, and those who show ability continue into the regular
Wrong... Reserves are issued with Pepper Spray
Wrong... Reserves can make arrests but are limited in what arrests can be made
Hope that clears that post up a bit;)0 -
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It could you dont know untill you try...
after 3yrs as a reserve[ and enjoying it.]I would wish any reserves who have realised that this is the end of the road as far as progresssing any further within an garda siochanna and would wish anyone who aspires to join any other countrys police forces if they so wish and use the experience that they have gained within the reserve to their advantage..
as the saying goes somebodys loss is another persons gain...
pity really but thats how it loooks to me...:cool:..0 -
after 3yrs as a reserve[ and enjoying it.]I would wish any reserves who have realised that this is the end of the road as far as progresssing any further within an garda siochanna and would wish anyone who aspires to join any other countrys police forces if they so wish and use the experience that they have gained within the reserve to their advantage..
as the saying goes somebodys loss is another persons gain...
pity really but thats how it loooks to me...:cool:..
Excellent post.I feel the same way as you man. Do what you need done...life is actually too short.0 -
this place has really gone quiet :P:cool:0
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Question that I hope perhaps some of the full time members or mods might be able to clarify. I know some of the other reserves in our phase are often out in the patrol car / van, some of them most of the time. However in our station there is a belief that reserves are not allowed to patrol in cars for insurance reasons, any clarification would be much obliged.0
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Once ya get told by your skipper to go in car ur grand just ask at start of shift0
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Question that I hope perhaps some of the full time members or mods might be able to clarify. I know some of the other reserves in our phase are often out in the patrol car / van, some of them most of the time. However in our station there is a belief that reserves are not allowed to patrol in cars for insurance reasons, any clarification would be much obliged.glhoran121 wrote: »Once ya get told by your skipper to go in car ur grand just ask at start of shift
Spartan09 it really is as glhoran121 says. It is up to your own S I/C to determine whether or not the reserve would be of more benefit in the station or out in the patrol car, obviously depending on varying factors including current staff/resources in your own station. One reliable source has informed me that the reserve would of course be covered by insurance when out in patrol car so it really is at the discretion of the S I/C at each station.0 -
re long reg number, write it in your phone or somewhere safe, you will be filling in lots and lots of forms down there and in other phases and need to write it numerous times.0
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that was pretty quick!!
i know it varies from place to place but how long after the phase 1 weekend was it before you started phase 2? is it evenings or weekends you do your phase 2 training?
thanks
For us we finished phase 1 on saturday and started phase 2 the following thursday. There was one girl in our group finished phase 1 saturday and begun phase 2 the next day on the sunday morning. We did phase 2 on tuesday and thursday evenings, while others I know did theirs exclusively on sundays for the whole day. It will depend completely on the training staff attached to the station you are assigned to and what fits in with their schedules. Even if its on a difficult day or time for you the time flies by.0 -
I see, thats good in a way that you're straight into it and there is no waiting around. Had you any choice with regard to the timing of sessions at all? Also was 100% attendance compulsory?(presuming it was!)
Basically I'm hoping to make the 3rd December intake but i have 2 weeks work placement straight after phase 1, in a different county . I'll be 3 hours away from the training station. Bad timing or what:mad:
I'll hope for the Sunday sessions!! oh and just one more question, what time did the evening session start and finish at?
Thanks spartan09
Nope we had no choice, in the station we were at the sessions are always on those days at that time (6-9). Yeah attendance was expected all the time but the training staff were particularly flexible with us and some people missed one or two sessions and the staff took them through the material at the next session during the tea break. I dont know if every station was as flexible as the one we were in.0 -
suppose ya couldnt be given everyone a choice or there would always be a time that wouldnt suit somebody! And did you cover the full 56 hours, i heard of some people who didnt? I see, that was sound of them.
Cheers for the info.:)
Yep did the full 56, fair bit to cover, although one or two sessions was used for revision and for a practice exam which was a great help. We had the soundest bunch of training staff you could ever wish for, hugely supportive in every way.0 -
Cool, ya got to know the stuff inside out so! Ya that makes all the difference, when your superiors are sound it makes everything much easier.
Thanks for your help. Oh and well done and hope your enjoying it. Might bump into ya down the line!!:D
Absolutely loving every second of it so far, the support and encouragement of the full time members has made all the difference, could not have been more welcoming, despite me being of an age where joining the full time is unfortunately not an option. In the station I'm in there is a full time member there who was previously a reserve and 5 others who were previously reserves are now full time members elsewhere also. There is another reserve there too who has been fantastic in guiding me through the process, his skipper and cig see him as much as part of his unit as the full time members are, a good role model to have.0 -
Sgt. Bilko 09 wrote: »Hi Spartan09,
Just asking which of the phases was the hardest?
I found phase 2 the most taxing. i didnt come from a legal backround so teh law had my head spinning for a bit but the training staff were brilliant.
by far the best part of trainig is phase 4. this is where everything youve learned phase 1,2 and 3 comes into play (and at that you know feck all!)
in my first 8hour shift, i learned so much its hard to comprehend.
your 3 previous phases will help you know end, but the gardai on your unit will teach you so much more and the streets will test you even harder
but most importantly, enjoy it! no day is the same, every shift is different0 -
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Sgt. Bilko 09 wrote: »Hi Spartan09,
Its good to hear that sort of information your giving out.
Well done on getting the position.
Just asking which of the phases was the hardest?
The hardest part for me personally was standing on the steps outside the station on the first evening of phase 4 as I was cacking it, first time in uniform and actually out on the streets, going up to the front desk and asking for the Sgt was terrifying but in reality there was nothing worth being nervous about, they were incredibly supportive on the first night. The first night coincidentally turned out to be the busiest and maddest night Ive had so far, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Physically the baton training hurt like hell the few days afterwards, couldnt move my arms without pain for days afterwards but again it was great craic and really enjoyed it so the pain was worth it....!0
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