Are gardaí risking their psychological and emotional well-being for our safety ask Paula Richards and Linda Balfe. Working in a busy psychotherapy practice for the past 17 years, it has become evident that gardaí presenting for counselling today are struggling to deal with levels of trauma, which affect them on an emotional level, that they never had to deal with […]
We have our own memorial day, now we have to make it work writes Superintendent Joseph Gannon. The primary reason for a police memorial is to remember those whose lives were cut short serving their country in the line of duty. To tell their families that their loved one is not forgotten: that the Force remembers them – and always […]
It may be a surprise to many but gardaí were not entitled to vote until the late 1950s. Robert Block examines legal rights that the frontline has had to fight for – not all of which have been won. “That others may live.” This is the motto of the US military’s corps of pararescue, a group of highly trained soldiers, […]
The Garda Representative Association is committed to equality for all members, and for the public that we serve. The Association supports the rights of all members of the LGBT community, and as a staff representative body we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind in the workplace, which naturally extends to the wider society and community. The forthcoming marriage equality […]
Robert Block re-examines the ‘Broken Windows’ theory of policing and finds it still has major application. In his book The Tipping Point, published in 2000, the author Malcolm Gladwell introduced the broader public to the theory of ‘Broken Windows’ policing. In this work he outlined the spiralling crime problems in New York in the 1980s and the apparent inability to […]
Sensational crime headlines may well have a large influence on teenage behaviours says Simona Zudyte. Daily we consume news from a variety of sources without realising that all broadcasting organisations have constructed reports not only to inform, but also to influence its readers. Crime reporting in the media and in particular its sensationalism of crime may well have a large […]
What is and should be expected of police forces such as An Garda Síochána when it comes to behaving ethically? Robert Block investigates. Because of the public nature of the role of the gardaí and the fact that there is, rightfully, a high expectation that members of the Force will act in a manner befitting that role, the question arises […]
Niamh Hourigan examines the true nature of gang crime in Ireland today and asks, has anything really changed post-austerity? At the time that my last book Understanding Limerick: Social Exclusion and Change was published in 2011, Limerick city still retained its national and international reputation as a hotbed of gangland activity. The city had the highest rate of social housing […]
EDITORIAL: The media has power. The power to tell what the issues are, and the greater power of news presentation. In recent weeks the focus and framing of news has shifted on to the open drug use in Dublin city centre. This is timely and has currency, because it impacts on tourism, business and the safety of the public. Our […]
Body cameras are the new secret weapon of police and they may be coming to a garda station near you soon, writes Robert Block. The role of the modern police officer is fraught with many difficulties. Whilst public support for the gardaí remains positive there will always be the possibility of mistrust of the Force arising due to the occurrence […]
