John O’Keeffe visits Frontline gardaí in Blackrock, Co. Dublin and reacquaints himself with old style local policing Nothing much happens when it comes to policing in middle class areas. Right? Wrong. Blackrock Station’s ebullient Superintendent Martin McGonnell is not long putting me straight on this matter – and trust me when you meet a man who has served two tours […]
Kieran FitzGerald, Commissioner of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, speaks to the Frontline during a time of much change in the Force This edition of the Garda Review is published at yet another time of great significance for the Garda Síochána. The appointment of the new Garda Commissioner demonstrates a desire for a new perspective and a willingness to break […]
The Emergency Response Unit is regarded by many as the most elite Unit within the Force. However, when John O’Keeffe spent the week leading up to the Papal visit with them he found humility at their core Mention of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) in conversation is likely to meet the type of hushed tones normally reserved for discussions about […]
René Gapert looks at the work of a forensic anthropologist in the exhumation of human remains Exhumations of the deceased are carried out for various reasons. Strictly speaking exhumations here refer to the excavation of a grave situated in a cemetery or churchyard and the removal of the human remains interred therein. This can be challenging for all involved but […]
An Garda Síochána has recently commenced the roll out of PALF, the competency- based Performance, Accountability and Learning Framework. Paul Franey investigates Young people who are interested in a career in An Garda Síochána often wonder whether or not they have what it takes to become a ‘good’ garda. There are no hard and fast answers to this question […]
As a GRA Wellbeing Survey gets underway, Dr. Finian Fallon examines potential issues that can affect the lives of the Frontline This is the next step in a difficult conversation that we need to have. Since the infamous destruction of the New York Trade Center in 2001, worldwide, there has been a growing appreciation of the impact of Post Traumatic Stress […]
The new Data Protection Regulation Directive will have implications for us all – not least on members of An Garda Síochána writes Darren Martin In May 2018 the General Data Protection Regulation Directive and the Law Enforcement Directive come into effect. The Directives deal with how an individual’s personal data is processed, used and disseminated through both private business as […]
As gardaí will know too well, those who commit heinous crimes can often appear the most ordinary writes David Carey We demonise violent criminals, arsonists and paedophiles. We need to turn them into something that is totally unlike us. We cannot fathom the nature of their crimes, some of them depraved and unspeakable (like the one I will outline below). […]
Senator Marie-Louise O’Donnell reflects on the true nature of An Garda Síochána and its unsung heroes and heroines My great grandfather, James Kirwan, was a police man; a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary from the early 20th century until partition in 1922. He served as sergeant in Bohola, went on to serve in Cleggan, became drill master in Dublin, […]
John O’Keeffe examines garda strength at the close of 2017 and advises that we continue to fall way short of the mark As of November 2017, there were 13,381 sworn members of An Garda Síochána, with some 11,000 members at garda rank. Depending on who in government or garda management you choose to believe, our numbers are at best, right […]
