Would it be stupid to thank a guard for doing their job?

calibelle · 15-10-2011 10:29PM #1

I had a bit of an incident recently when I was scared at home, I rang the local station for help and there was a car here in 3 mins - I'm guessing at 3am on a weekend night they probably were fairly busy.
From the garda who answered the phone and promised to have a car up immediately to the two who came to the door I felt they were really professional but also kind and reassuring and they stayed in the area for a good while afterwards too.

I know its their job but I went from shaking with fear to feeling safe enough to go back to bed and I've read so much about people complaining about response times I thought that was amazing.

Would it be stupid/annoying to call in and say thanks as I really did appreciate them or would it be something people might like to hear?

Leeg17 · 15-10-2011 10:30PM

Feel free to express your gratitude if you want to would be my opinion, I'd probably do it if I was in the same position OP.

scuba8 · 15-10-2011 10:31PM

It would be a nice thing to do and I am sure it would be greatly appreciated

maygitchell · 15-10-2011 10:32PM

Fair play, nice to see a proper garda response for a change, thank them surely

CharlieCroker · 15-10-2011 10:35PM

If you really want to thank them, a simple, short note to their Superintendant would do wonders and also shows the bosses upstairs that they're doing a bit of work.

Stuff like this cant really be quantified in crime-stats and so on and is prob one of the most important parts of police work.

paddyandy · 15-10-2011 10:36PM

I had a problem with a shinner neighbour who was trying to make a name for himself and i too was greatful for their presence i thanked them .Sometimes he's the only friend you have.

calibelle · 15-10-2011 10:37PM

CharlieCroker wrote: »

If you really want to thank them, a simple, short note to their Superintendant would do wonders and also shows the bosses upstairs that they're doing a bit of work.

Stuff like this cant really be quantified in crime-stats and so on and is prob one of the most important parts of police work.

I'll do that on Monday then. I can't remember their names (was just too worried at the time) but if I put the date and time and a description would they know or be able to find out somehow?
If not I'll call in and find out before I write the letter.

Thanks

Isolt · 15-10-2011 10:45PM

I had a crappy incident recently too where I was robbed by a gang of junkies during the day and the police were so great throughout it all. From the second we flagged the car down right up until this week even, when they rang and sent a letter to update me on the investigation. They've been brilliant. Given there is so little they can really do in such a crime, they've really been very thorough. I feel like I want to say thank you too but feel like it might come across daft to them but I am so thankful to the pair of them for being as helpful as they were. I'm so glad they were there because the whole incident was really, really inconvenient and upsetting.

CharlieCroker · 15-10-2011 10:47PM

ring the station and explain it to the guard who answers the phone. He'll tell you what unit was working and may be able to tell you the names of the guards. If not, leave a messege for the unit sergeant to ring you back or else just put down which unit was working on the note. won't take long for the Super to find out which guards called to you.

But it would reflect directly on them if you knew their names as you wrote it

calibelle · 15-10-2011 11:00PM

Ok thanks I'll phone on Monday morning and get that information.

hangon · 15-10-2011 11:02PM

Many would disagree but we have one of the most compassionate caring police force's in the World.
The 'trick' for want of a better word is just to treat them with respect,barring a few exceptions they will return the respect.

votecounts · 15-10-2011 11:04PM

paddyandy wrote: »

I had a problem with a shinner neighbour who was trying to make a name for himself and i too was greatful for their presence i thanked them .Sometimes he's the only friend you have.

sorry for your trouble, whats SF got to do with anything.

maygitchell · 15-10-2011 11:10PM

votecounts wrote: »

sorry for your trouble, whats SF got to do with anything.

Everything

paddyandy · 16-10-2011 09:35AM

When you have a problem with one shinner they are all agin you and no mercy is shown.They gang up on you.They don't like you calling the guards either and refer to them as the police.

coach23 · 16-10-2011 09:59AM

If you write a short note to the super its the best you could do at the moment and a rarely done thing it would be greatly appreciated by both the Guard and the Super. you wont need the guards name just the day date time and place of the incident and the super will find out who responded

fair play for asking how to aknowledge the good work

Micky Dolenz · 16-10-2011 01:16PM

Of course it's ok to thank an organisation for good service.

I was in an Argos store a few years ago and a staff member went way and above what was expected of them to help me source a product. I made it my business to call the store later and complement said staff member to the manager. He was pretty gob smacked, saying no-one had ever done that before, it's usually only the complaints he hears.

16-10-2011 04:07PM

calibelle wrote: »

I had a bit of an incident recently when I was scared at home, I rang the local station for help and there was a car here in 3 mins - I'm guessing at 3am on a weekend night they probably were fairly busy.

Would it be stupid/annoying to call in and say thanks as I really did appreciate them or would it be something people might like to hear?

As already mentioned, a letter to the super with the datails and time/date of the call and the Gardaí who responded will get it.

maygitchell wrote: »

Fair play, nice to see a proper garda response for a change, thank them surely

You'll find that generally the Gardaí will respond to important calls as quickly as possible. If they don't there is usually a good reason. Calls are graded by their importance, so a theft will be dealt with after a robbery or break-in in progress.

18-10-2011 02:11PM

Can I ask, not sure if i asked this before, but in this situation, if you're the Garda that is being thanked, and a letter goes to the Superintendent, does the Garda know about it?

What I mean is, does the superintendent call them aside and say it to them, or stick a note to their locker, or does it get thrown to one side and filed away for future reference (promotion, etc.) without the garda ever knowing about it?

Or does it vary by station?

Hooch · 18-10-2011 08:12PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Can I ask, not sure if i asked this before, but in this situation, if you're the Garda that is being thanked, and a letter goes to the Superintendent, does the Garda know about it?

What I mean is, does the superintendent call them aside and say it to them, or stick a note to their locker, or does it get thrown to one side and filed away for future reference (promotion, etc.) without the garda ever knowing about it?

Or does it vary by station?

Forwarded down along the lines from the Supt with a well done normally. Its then noted by the Garda who should sent it back and its placed in his/her personal file at Divisional level.

deadwood · 19-10-2011 01:29PM

It's not unusual to receive thanks for doing your job.

Why, just the other day, I was doing my job and issued a penalty notice to a nice gentleman who was speeding. He said "haven't you any real work to do? Your Supernintendo will hear about this. Thanks a lot!"

hangon · 19-10-2011 08:38PM

deadwood wrote: »

It's not unusual to receive thanks for doing your job. Why, just the other day, I was doing my job and issued a penalty notice to a nice gentleman who was speeding. He said "haven't you any real work to do? Your Supernintendo will hear about this. Thanks a lot!"

C'mon deadwood if as you appear to claim are a Guard then you know the biggest criticism of the force is that it pursues easy convictions and does not chase down the really dangerous members of society.
those critics would call you cowards,why bring up relative petty 'crimes' to defend the force when there is so much more to it?

Delancey · 19-10-2011 09:03PM

deadwood wrote: »

It's not unusual to receive thanks for doing your job.

Why, just the other day, I was doing my job and issued a penalty notice to a nice gentleman who was speeding. He said "haven't you any real work to do? Your Supernintendo will hear about this. Thanks a lot!"

Cheer up Deadwood , I'm sure your personal file is bulging with thank you letters , maybe theres even a special filing cabinet with your name on it ?

deadwood · 20-10-2011 12:48PM

Delancey wrote: »

maybe theres even a special filing cabinet with your name on it ?

Oh, there is.

DOn't think it's full of thank you cards, though!

bohsfan · 20-10-2011 12:52PM

I think the world would be a better place if people thanked others for doing a good job more often

d3exile · 20-10-2011 06:35PM

hangon wrote: »

C'mon deadwood if as you appear to claim are a Guard then you know the biggest criticism of the force is that it pursues easy convictions and does not chase down the really dangerous members of society.
those critics would call you cowards,why bring up relative petty 'crimes' to defend the force when there is so much more to it?

To be fair deadwood sounds like he may be Traffic Corps, and in fairness if you look at the road deaths in this country you would know that the fines they give out are fairly important too...

Alot of people should see that maybe just maybe it's not the Guards fault you got a ticket maybe its yours?

Anyway back to the OP, deffo a letter to the Supt would be the best way to go, a pat on the back from upstairs and a good letter going into your file can do wonders for morale and will make the Guard more likely to stay courteous, kind and helpful, it's very easy in this job to feel unappreciated and doing a thankless task

paddyandy · 20-10-2011 06:43PM

Many people in New York would eat the head off you just for asking directions and that's the way we'll go if we don't promote manners by example.We are liked the world over for our disposition which includes courtesy.

Would it be stupid to thank a guard for doing their job?

Comments