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Your experiences with the Gards over the years.

JackieBauer

No, I'm not Tony Soprano or Henry Hill. However, this is a mere discussion on our national police force. I know Gards, most people probably do also. What is your general opinion of our police force? There is no reason for this to get out of hand. No libellous or abusive crap etc.

Anyway, I think most of them are very cock sure and ignorant so and so's, and some are nice.

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Saipanne

Humans never let power go to their head. And Gardai are no different. At all.

Ahem.

B.A._Baracus

I've met some nice gardai and some right dickheads.
Just as another said, it's life, you meet both the good and bad. But it has to be said tho that where ever power is given... Jerks will be made.

Mec27

Chijj wrote: »

Id hedge my bets that the vast majority of people who said that the guards were always pleasant did not grow up in a working class area as a young male.

Because in nice areas they don't have to put up with the **** that goes on in those hellholes.

Maldesu

I've always had good dealings with them. A sibling of mine used to deal drugs and got picked up a time or two. They were always pleasant to the family.

On one occasion, a sibling got picked up and only I was at home. By the time the Gardai arrived later on with a search warrant I was relaxing with bottle of booze while watching CSI. They had a warrant to search the house but figured out that none of my parents were home. My mum was getting a bus home and was due within 30 mins. They said they would wait till she came home before starting. I figured she'd have a heart attack if there was a marked car outside so I told them my concern. The head detective tells me its not marked but gets them to move the car anyway up out of sight. They then sat down and watched TV with me and just chatted about stuff. Mum freaked out regardless, but the lads were quick and only searched the siblings room and the garden. Also gave us a lift to the station to get the sibling.

r93kaey5p2izun

On the whole I have a negative impression of the Gardai but with a couple of individual exceptions. I have found them to be deliberately antagonistic, abusive and unprofessional in most of my dealings with them. I have found that they pick and choose who they help based on address and that at times they refuse to do their job if they think you aren't important enough to warrant their time. Being polite and courteous is not enough to overcome the prejudice and snobbery prevalent among many Gardai unfortunately. I have found that in many sensitive situations they add fuel to the fire rather than defuse it. The positive interactions I have had with them have been in a professional context and that experience couldn't be any more different than my experiences from home.

I think they are understaffed and underresourced though and have a very difficult job on the front line.

ToddyDoody

I rang them was it twice about 4 years ago relating to some fairly odd break-ins downstairs to where i lived. To be of any use you need to be an eye witness, rather than just hearing a break-in. The second call out was quick and they were ready to give someone a hiding. No sign of any forensics for a robbery, maybe they're not relevant for smaller level callouts. They weren't sitting on their holes and did arrive quickly and silently and pushed things a little and stayed put at the scene. The break ins where the oddest though.. who breaks into a creche twice?

maryishere

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I've met some nice gardai and some right dickheads.

Same as every other police force in the world. Most are decent enough if they do not perceive you to be a serious threat. One guard I met once was really rude...maybe he was just having a bad day. People are human. Never judge someone till you walk a mile in their shoes, as they say.

AtomicHorror

CruelCoin wrote: »

Generally unfavourable.

They have all the time in the world to camp the roads for speeders, but no time whatsoever to recover any of the items stolen from the family business over the years.

Not sure I'd want the traffic corp investigating theft cases.

captbarnacles

Never had any problems with them. Be courteous to them and they are fine. I'd say its hard to maintain civility with the crap they have to put up with everyday.

tails_naf

Crime is not taken seriously here. It starts with the sentencing and multiple convictions and I assume as a result that's why guards fully admit nothing will be done or recovered in the cases of 'petty' burglary / asaults. People say resources are the problem, but that's not fully true as there appear to be no shortage of tax and insurance stops! I think unless all crime is pursued, the multiple convictions and severity of crimes will continue to worsen. That said most guards themselves are sound, but it would be nice if instead of looking for more pay/threatening strikes they looked for reform of the justice system to truly tackle the scum - as in the long run that will make their (and our) lives better.

ED E

To be coarse for a minute, they can suck my left one.

NB: Not on garda business, getting lunch, going to ATM, having a chat with their mates.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgY8EjHWwAEfB_B.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cc7yTZDWwAAq024.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZojJyxWwAApVEP.jpg

"The Guards" on RTE shows just how much of a farce they are. "Oh he's crossed over the liffey, not our zone, we'll leave him go unless he comes back, maybe called DMR south if we're arsed".

We wont fix the guards until theres a civilian head.

chrissb8

Some are fine. The majority not. I have nothing but contempt for the really overweight one's. I mean how can anyone respect them they can't even do their jobs in the event of actually requiring a bit of physical effort. Also the lack of them on the street.

My favourite experience is this conversation (names of where I live have obv been changed)

*driving around the countryside garda pulls us over

garda: What's your name

me: john

garda: where are you from?

me: greystones

garda: where in greystones?

me: Up by charlesland?

garda: where in charlesland?

me: charlesland park

garda: where in charlesland park?

me: 130 charlesland park

garda: there's a question you could have answered in one go.

I was also in the passenger seat of a car. With my belt on.

scdublin

Bit of a mixed bag I guess with my experiences. Some have been lovely, some have been absolute power hungry pricks. There's a fierce amount of lies and corruption with the higher uppers as well - good some of it is coming out through the whistle blowing.

Also - there's a lot of people saying "be nice to them and they'll be nice to you". Not the case at all with some of them unfortunately!

Sapphire

Haven't had a bad experience of any when I've met them. A sound bunch so far anyway.

I always mentally check I haven't committed some awful crime when I spot one though!

pgj2015

chrissb8 wrote: »

Some are fine. The majority not. I have nothing but contempt for the really overweight one's. I mean how can anyone respect them they can't even do their jobs in the event of actually requiring a bit of physical effort. Also the lack of them on the street.

My favourite experience is this conversation (names of where I live have obv been changed)

*driving around the countryside garda pulls us over

garda: What's your name

me: john

garda: where are you from?

me: greystones

garda: where in greystones?

me: Up by charlesland?

garda: where in charlesland?

me: charlesland park

garda: where in charlesland park?

me: 130 charlesland park

garda: there's a question you could have answered in one go.

I was also in the passenger seat of a car. With my belt on.

he was right, they really persecuted you there alright, no wonder you have no time for them. 100% of guards I have dealt with were very nice, I find its only criminals and trouble makers who have a problem with them.

ohnonotgmail

chrissb8 wrote: »

Some are fine. The majority not. I have nothing but contempt for the really overweight one's. I mean how can anyone respect them they can't even do their jobs in the event of actually requiring a bit of physical effort. Also the lack of them on the street.

My favourite experience is this conversation (names of where I live have obv been changed)

*driving around the countryside garda pulls us over

garda: What's your name

me: john

garda: where are you from?

me: greystones

garda: where in greystones?

me: Up by charlesland?

garda: where in charlesland?

me: charlesland park

garda: where in charlesland park?

me: 130 charlesland park

garda: there's a question you could have answered in one go.

I was also in the passenger seat of a car. With my belt on.

you should have sued him for breaching your human rights. thats an outrageous way for a guard to talk to a member of the public.

whisky_galore

pgj2015 wrote: »

he was right, they really persecuted you there alright, no wonder you have no time for them. 100% of guards I have dealt with were very nice, I find its only criminals and trouble makers who have a problem with them.

He could have asked the question intelligently and dispensed with the sass mouth.

Widdershins

scdublin wrote: »

Bit of a mixed bag I guess with my experiences. Some have been lovely, some have been absolute power hungry pricks. There's a fierce amount of lies and corruption with the higher uppers as well - good some of it is coming out through the whistle blowing.

Also - there's a lot of people saying "be nice to them and they'll be nice to you". Not the case at all with some of them unfortunately!

This is very true. People have said along lines of : how can you expect them to be nice with all the stress they're under.
Sometimes ordinary people who did nothing wrong take the brunt of their stress in the shape of a rude or suspicious attitude. And sometimes I feel, they can just be rude people lacking in professionalism. Like any profession there are bad apples as well as good.

livedadream

whisky_galore wrote: »

He could have asked the question intelligently and dispensed with the sass mouth.

if you are unable to comprehend the questions you are legally entitled to ask for assistance.

BalcombeSt4

Imnotthehulk wrote: »

Haven't had any dealings with the Guards for a while ... but while I was living in the and around the area I had reason to visit Pearse Street Garda Station a few times.

The first time I was in there was to get a signature for my passport. Was living in Dublin 2 a few years at that stage and considered it my home, so I went in to Pearse Street and asked the chap to sign my photos. Of course he wasn't particularly polite and told me that I had to go to my local station and he couldn't help me. Told him where I lived and insisted that this was my local station and he sign the photos/form, which he did, after making me wait a while.

The next time was to report the theft of some items of mine from the gym, and the person I dealt would couldn't have been nicer. Very pleasant and helpful. While I was doing this another chap came in to get his passport sorted and he was gruffly (rudely?) told to go to his local station and that they couldn't help him. He went off at that stage.

Well why wouldn't he be. This notion that guards should get a pat on the back for being nice to someone who just had a crime committed against is rubbish.

branie2

I gave a guard a thumbs up one day years ago, and he responded in kind

Strumms

Thought of another one... I was on a Dublin bus one day that was involved in a collision with a car in O'Connell St. I had a good view of what happened and as I felt sorry for the driver of the bus who was clearly not at fault I told the bus inspector what happened and gave contact details.

Some months later I got a call from a Guard at Store St asking if I'd be prepared to make a statement, I said I would so made an appointment to see him at Store St. later that week.

On arrival at the desk I asked to see him only to be told that he was away on riot training that day and wouldn't be in. I thought that is odd not to get a call at least but not massively inconvenienced as I had planned to be in town anyway. A couple of days passed and the Guard rang back with a mumbled half arsed apology asking if we could reschedule.. so the following week I went in again on the appointed day and time, asked for him.. only to be told that it was his day off ! right so brilliant.... mucked around again and here is me trying to help him ! Anyway the 3rd call came another apology mumbled and I advised him that if he wanted to take a statement from me he had my address and that I wouldn't be traipsing into store st for a 3rd time, but like himself there will no guarantee if I will be in or out or whatever so pot luck... as expected that is the last I heard of the matter.

whisky_galore

livedadream wrote: »

if you are unable to comprehend the questions you are legally entitled to ask for assistance.

Or subtitles, if questioned by a Kerry native.

razorblunt

I have to say the lads over here in Scotland are decent:
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/POLICE-SWINGS-EDIT-1.jpg

suicide_circus

Tendency to be extremely unhelpful when my foreign accented family and loved ones have ever had to call them for help.

Imnotthehulk

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Well why wouldn't he be. This notion that guards should get a pat on the back for being nice to someone who just had a crime committed against is rubbish.

It was a she when I went in to report the stolen items. I didn't think the guard should necessarily get a pat on the back, although her helpfulness was appreciated. I had hoped to point out that while she was helpful to me, the person looking for a signature for his passport wasn't treated very pleasantly at all (as had been the case with me the first time I visited the station).

valoren

chrissb8 wrote: »

Some are fine. The majority not. I have nothing but contempt for the really overweight one's. I mean how can anyone respect them they can't even do their jobs in the event of actually requiring a bit of physical effort. Also the lack of them on the street.

My favourite experience is this conversation (names of where I live have obv been changed)

*driving around the countryside garda pulls us over

garda: What's your name

me: john

garda: where are you from?

me: greystones

garda: where in greystones?

me: Up by charlesland?

garda: where in charlesland?

me: charlesland park

garda: where in charlesland park?

me: 130 charlesland park

garda: there's a question you could have answered in one go.

I was also in the passenger seat of a car. With my belt on.

That's the type I spoke about.
They try to wind you up by talking to you like a child and not an adult
They look for a sarcastic or equally snippy response from you.
Then they have their excuse for their power tripping as you are thus 'trouble' to them.

Dr Crayfish

Mostly bad really. When we were teens they would stop us all the time and search us. I guess that's what they do to kids hanging around but we were harmless. Surely they've better things to be doing than that.
Now they scream at me from cars when I'm on my bike for breaking red lights or cycling with no lights. Fair enough I suppose they're just doing their job.
The higher up guys, detectives, were good to my family in the past when a family member was murdered, they did their best to get the killers and ultimately got them in court. They used to look in on my Grandmother after that every now and again.
So good and bad I guess.

livedadream

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

The higher up guys, detectives, were good to my family in the past when a family member was murdered, they did their best to get the killers and ultimately got them in court. They used to look in on my Grandmother after that every now and again.
So good and bad I guess.

sorry to read this, but nice to see they popped in after.

ofcork

Like most people here good and bad had an off duty guy pull me over accusing me of tailgating/undertaking him but got it sorted he must have had a bad day!