The debate on firearms use has been ongoing since the establishment of the Garda Síochána writes Darren Martin. The Garda Síochána is predominately an unarmed uniformed police force which has served and protected its citizens through the early years of the State, emerging from the violent struggle post-independence, the establishment of the Free State, the civil war, the threats posed […]
When it comes to psychological self-defense what can police do? Karl Melvin looks at protecting your inner garda. We live in a society loaded with so many toxic influences it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a healthy state of mind. The never ending flow of bad news in the media, a diet of junk food and chronic addiction are […]
Greater accountability and a rising tide of assaults on our members have been the conversation of the past ten years. In policing issues affecting frontline gardaí these have been the big two causes of stress and consternation; and well documented across the public sphere. Being subject to investigation when you don’t actually know who has accused you and what you […]
A new facial recognition system makes it easier and simpler for witnesses to identify suspects writes Neil Ward. “I’d know them if I saw them again” is a common statement from witnesses who do not have the words to describe the facial features they hold in their visual memory. Eskimos might well have 20 words for snow, but we don’t […]
Having lost her family at the hands of a suicidal driver, Elber Twomey believes that the introduction of Applied Suicide Prevention Skills Training will equip gardaí with the necessary skills to deal with suicidal people and may prevent further tragedies. The blame for my family’s death didn’t just rest with the man who killed them. It was shared with the […]
No one was ever convicted for the murder of Guard Thomas Dowling in 1925, James Durney examines the details of the case. It is not only in the present day that garda personnel are at risk to violent criminals. From the very foundation of the State in 1922, members of the police force have been under violent attack with the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Are blue collar criminals changing their shirts to white? In Scandinavia they already have, according to Fredrik Hammarström Over the last five years Sweden has seen the number of fraud and white collar crimes escalate to new dimensions. The rate of fraud cases has increased from 59,000 to 130,000 – an increase of some 120%. Not only has this […]
A garda’s success is often crudely measured for example by the amount of arrests made, yet there is so much more to modern policing writes John O’Keeffe The difficulty with measuring police performance has been one that has dogged police forces for generations. The very nature of policing is that it often sits in a cloud of subjectivity. One person’s […]
