Gardai ordered to stop at red lights while chasing suspects

Sunnyisland · 13-07-2014 10:36AM #1

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/gardai-ordered-to-stop-at-red-lights-while-chasing-suspects-30427155.html

The new rules on driving mean officers who have not done an advanced training course must observe speed limits and not use their blue light while their car is in motion.

A directive given to gardai also says they must “obey the rules of the road”, which will restrict them from driving in bus lanes and going through red lights, even if the route is clear.

If caught driving outside the rules of the road and stopped by the Traffic Corps, gardai will also face fines and penalty points — just like other drivers, they have been told.

One source told the Sunday Independent: “This is ridiculous, you couldn’t make this up. If we have a call to an armed incident, we are expected to drive within the limit and not use the siren. It’s not just the uniformed lads too, it’s the people in NBCI (National Bureau of Crime Investigation) and the Special Branch who will be feeling like eejits over this.”

This is ridiculous, more bureaucratic bull****, could they not implement the new advanced course over time without the penalties above which will be causing even more low moral and ineffectiveness throughout the force.

Long Gone · 13-07-2014 10:38AM

Only in Ireland - A complete joke of a country......:mad:

Awkward Badger · 13-07-2014 10:38AM

realies wrote: »

If caught driving outside the rules of the road and stopped by the Traffic Corps, gardai will also face fines and penalty points — just like other drivers, they have been told.causing even more low moral and ineffectiveness throughout the force.

Never gonna happen though is it ?

13-07-2014 10:38AM

Well ... if they haven't done the advanced training they may not be able to handle situations like that and how to hopefully avoid causing collisions and other injuries in the course of their duties
Kinda makes sense, the only thing then is trying to make sure they all get it done asap

phasers · 13-07-2014 10:38AM

If caught driving outside the rules of the road and stopped by the Traffic Corps, gardai will also face fines and penalty points — just like other drivers, they have been told.

Yeah right!

Myrddin · 13-07-2014 10:40AM

bluewolf wrote: »

Well ... if they haven't done the advanced training they may not be able to handle situations like that and how to hopefully avoid causing collisions and other injuries in the course of their duties
Kinda makes sense, the only thing then is trying to make sure they all get it done asap

Exactly, those who haven't done the course won't be driving the cars/vans...simple as.

wazky · 13-07-2014 10:40AM

The Guards do their best to get family/friends off penalty points and fines, now they want us to believe they will themselves penalty points?

Is it the first of April already?

mickydoomsux · 13-07-2014 10:44AM

Yes, let's make it even harder for the police to do their job properly.

HurtLocker · 13-07-2014 11:04AM

phasers wrote: »

Yeah right!

You could now call the traffic corp and complain with the reg of the car and they should if possible check the dash cam in the gardai car in question at the time?

Tbh they are pointing out the worst scenarios. But I have to admit it annoys me to see a guard yapping away on the phone while driving when he'd pull me over for the very same thing and claim he was doing it to protect me.

The anti speeding "road safety" gobeens crying about speeding and any rule breaking kills and calling for more and more penalties and enforcement caused this and now have crippled the police force. Thank them. The gardai have been a platform for RSA and gaybo so now if this is true they must play by the rules they love to advertise.

Won't it be funny when a gard has to patiently wait behind a tractor on a call. Road Safety gone nuts. Of course this being a police force the good gards will still stand behind the bad gards for the sake of unity and I doubt much any gard will be pulled over. That said will they release figures of gardai caught during their famous blitzes?

Does this mean gards can't pull people over who are speeding if they are too far ahead?

SCOOP 64 · 13-07-2014 11:13AM

But if the car thiefs also read these new rules and also stop at red lights to make it more sporting when being chased by guards then all is fair.

Badly Drunk Boy · 13-07-2014 11:14AM

No, it's okay because the CUI have agreed that their members will also abide by these guidelines. The CUI (Criminals Union of Ireland) have stated that these measures are for the safety of the general public so they must be adhered to.

Collie D · 13-07-2014 11:20AM

bluewolf wrote: »

Well ... if they haven't done the advanced training they may not be able to handle situations like that and how to hopefully avoid causing collisions and other injuries in the course of their duties
Kinda makes sense, the only thing then is trying to make sure they all get it done asap

Indeed. Some posters getting overly hysterical over nothing. I am surprised this wasn't always the case to be honest. You wouldn't hand a gun to a Guard without him having passed some examination so why let him get involved in high speed pursuits without having completed an advanced driving course?

13-07-2014 11:31AM

Can anyone do this advanced training course?

If they can, why doesn't anyone who would like to join the guards just do the course and increase their chances of being succesful with their application.

HurtLocker · 13-07-2014 11:31AM

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

But if the car thiefs also read these new rules and also stop at red lights to make it more sporting when being chased by guards then all is fair.

How can regular gards now pull people for breaking red lights?

Awkward Badger · 13-07-2014 11:34AM

Gardai are being instructed to attend a one-day course and, if they pass, are given forms known as CBD1 (competency-based driving 1). Only drivers who have completed the three to four-week advanced course — now known as CBD2 — are allowed to speed and use their sirens and lights when driving.

However, sources say the garda driving school has been run down over recent years to the extent that only a handful of gardai at a time are in training.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/gardai-ordered-to-stop-at-red-lights-while-chasing-suspects-30427155.html#sthash.u50D3fCM.dpuf

Hopefully this will get things improved with the training of the Gardai on the 4 week advanced course to get more Gardai up to the standard they should be at anyway when responding to situations.

kingchess · 13-07-2014 11:41AM

the gardai could take the bus to the crime scene or accident scene if traffic is heavy,

Sheeps · 13-07-2014 11:46AM

I think it's a good idea. Gardaí are just ordinary muppets like the rest of us. Why should the be allowed take massive risks while driving with out the proper training? It's quite naive to think that just because someone is driving a garda car, that they are in any way competent at driving it. When you think of how many of your friends who don't drive or who are not as confident behind the wheel but can drive, and then think that the Gardaí is a job like any other. All this will do is result in a better trained work force because it is obviously not sustainable to have a police force with these kind of limitations.

Duiske · 13-07-2014 11:59AM

For those saying it's ridiculous, whats actually ridiculous is that there are Gardai being allowed to get involved in high speed chases when they do not have the necessary training for high speed driving. Anyway, this threat to hold untrained Garda drivers to the same rules as the rest of us is designed to cause a public outcry, and get the Government to sort out the mess that is Garda driver training. Its never going to happen that a Garda responding to an emergency call will be done for speeding, breaking a red light or whatever.

Remmy · 13-07-2014 12:04PM

In extenuating circumstances when chasing a perp,if the passenger was to say "punch it" then they no longer are required to abide by the rules of the rude

SEPT 23 1989 · 13-07-2014 12:09PM

I thought high speed chases went out with armed robberies

Luke92 · 13-07-2014 12:13PM

bluewolf wrote: »

Well ... if they haven't done the advanced training they may not be able to handle situations like that and how to hopefully avoid causing collisions and other injuries in the course of their duties
Kinda makes sense, the only thing then is trying to make sure they all get it done asap

I'm sure you will change your attitude if you're ever in a situation where you need the guards quickly. They show up an hour later saying they got caught at all the lights!

Tail Docker · 13-07-2014 12:28PM

So what? Feck off and train them - get the advanced driving course done, simple as. Tough if it costs.

If I want to put a lad onto a mini-digger, he has to do an expensive course, if I want to hire someone, they have to do dopey manual handling courses, safepass, and god knows what else. These cost a fortune, they are not optional and I have to suck it up and pay for them. If the state want to hire people to drive around chasing people, feck off and train them for it.

Why should one set of rules apply to us and one to them? And while they're at it, fit car phone kits - we have to, why don't they, sure "using a phone while driving is deadly dangerous" - what does the blue shirt do? Give you superpowers?? They're expensive and awkward?? Yeah, they are, tough. Ye made the rules, abide by them as well. Otherwise, it's what's commonly known as "hypocrisy" which is allegedly bad..

smellmepower · 13-07-2014 12:32PM

Be no harm to have more Gardai out walking the beat or on bikes,as opposed to driving around three/four to a car.

Incredible that the training period for a student Garda here is so long in comparison to just about any other police force,yet the completion of an advanced driving course isn't mandatory before passing out.Typically Irish.

SpaceTime · 13-07-2014 12:41PM

I suppose they're just all going to have to do the advanced driving course.

You'd think they'd have had a phase in period over maybe 2 years to get eeveryone trained up tho.

Rothmans · 13-07-2014 12:43PM

smellmepower wrote: »

Be no harm to have more Gardai out walking the beat or on bikes,as opposed to driving around three/four to a car.

Incredible that the training period for a student Garda here is so long in comparison to just about any other police force,yet the completion of an advanced driving course isn't mandatory before passing out.Typically Irish.

Not anymore. There will be fully attested Gardaí coming out of Templemore after 32 weeks training now, as opposed to the 2 years that it previously was.

the culture of deference · 13-07-2014 12:43PM

it doesn't really matter anyway.

they catch people all the time, waste hours processing them, release on bail, waste more hours when eventually its comes back to court, with free legal aid, meanwhile the person on bail keeps breaking the law, and nothing happens.

Maphisto · 13-07-2014 12:47PM

This is a non story. Of course you won't let the average Gard with average driving skills do other than observe the rules of the road.

To those saying ridiculous/only in Ireland/blah blah, how would you feel if someone you care about is in collision with an untrained Garda who jump the lights for whatever reason they thought warranted it at the time?

Tail Docker · 13-07-2014 12:52PM

Maphisto wrote: »

This is a non story. Of course you won't let the average Gard with average driving skills do other than observe the rules of the road.

To those saying ridiculous/only in Ireland/blah blah, how would you feel if someone you care about is in collision with an untrained Garda who jump the lights for whatever reason they thought warranted it at the time?

For those who used to frequent a certain W,Dublin car auction, they will attest to the amount of utterly mangled Garda cars that used to come in every month. They crash the same as other mere mortals. Slapping Blue lights on the roof does not suddenly turn you into Lewis Hamilton.

SpaceTime · 13-07-2014 12:53PM

From what I gather police elsewhere are fairly well trained in this area. It's considered fairly fundamental.

It's got to be taken seriously for the sake of all involved.

Maphisto · 13-07-2014 12:58PM

SpaceTime wrote: »

From what I gather police elsewhere are fairly well trained in this area. It's considered fairly fundamental.

It's got to be taken seriously for the sake of all involved.

Well there's advanced driving in the UK too, not everyone does it or passes it. Remember the old Panda Cars. They were specifically not pursuit or anything else cars. They were only scrapped in a smoke and mirrors trick by the government. Majority of what police do is when they get there not charging around in fast cars.

smellmepower · 13-07-2014 01:03PM

Rothmans wrote: »

Not anymore. There will be fully attested Gardaí coming out of Templemore after 32 weeks training now, as opposed to the 2 years that it previously was.

That's good news,though I'd imagine it was a decision based around budgetary constraints and a rush to get more boots on the ground due to falling force strength more than anything else.

Students coming out of Templemore for the last 15/20 years not to have an advance driving course done after two years training is still ridiculous in itself.

Gardai ordered to stop at red lights while chasing suspects

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