A growing culture of ‘fear and paranoia’ within the Gardaí is driving a wedge between the force and the public, the GRA has warned.
A midlands Garda was yesterday cleared of any wrongdoing after facing a three-year disciplinary process for lending an elderly man an unclaimed bicycle during the COVID pandemic.
The officer was suspended throughout the inquiry.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has criticised the process – saying the inquiry should never have happened.
On Lunchtime Live GRA President Brendan O’Connor said new protocols have caused the force to become more distant from communities.
“The resources, time, and effort that went into pursuing this folly was a waste of time and think about the personal impact on this man, his family, and his career,” he said.
“It’s hard to believe an organisation would take such an unyielding approach to something so simple.
“There was such a lack of common sense in the decision-making applied – it’s ridiculous.”
Afraid
Mr O’Connor said tighter rules around engaging with the public have made Gardaí fearful.
“There is a culture of fear and paranoia that is embedding itself at the moment and creating a distance between members,” he said.
“We are community-based, that is our ethos and what we’re about.
“The protocols we brought in to regularise that are having the opposite effects and intentions - I think they are creating a barrier.”
Mr O’Connor said ‘doing the right thing’ doesn’t always conform to protocols.
Building trust
Youth worker Eddie D’Arcy said more could be done to build trust between Gardaí and the public.
“I believe community policing should go beyond community policing officers,” he said.
“It actually should be an ‘all Garda approach’ including the men and women on traffic, drug taskforce teams, armed response – every one of them should be conscious of their relationship with the community they work in.
“I am very much in favour of the Gardaí continuing to invest in community policing.”
More needed
Irish Ruralink CEO Seamus Boland said current community policing services leave a lot to be desired.
“Community policing, in my opinion, is not at all up to the level you’d want in Ireland,” he said.
“We would ask for dedicated community policing units in every region, every area, and that they are generally accessible to the community.
"Unfortunately, I don’t think we have anything like what would be called community policing in a real sense.”
Mr Boland said community policing officers should be household names in their community and readily available to any individual or organisation who needs them.
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Main image: A Garda chats with local community during COVID. Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie
