"What 'ave you got on your 'ead?". More retroactive policing on the mean streets of Dublin.


Q: For what respective in the Irish Republic will you be fined (a) €5,000 and (b) €2,000? Answer at bottom of the page...



Fundamentals:

• The Garda find themselves hogtied by overly complex, ineffective, unenforceable legislation. Jesus, just count 'em: Statute List up to Dec 04

• The old guard within the Force (if that is the right word anymore) are blocking the introduction of the Traffic Corps & Garda Reserve. Sunday Business Post Feb 06

• For an organisation of 12,250 members (as of Dec 05), they have over 2,000 vehicles at their disposal; that is only 6 coppers per vehicle. One explanation as to why the numbers of foot patrols are so depressed.

• "Pulse" computerised Plod system brought in at great expense, to little positive effect: Irish Examiner March 05

• More worried about their own safety (& image) than that of the public's? Independent Aug 07

• Most seem too busy filling in forms that regular “civil” servants could get wrong just as easily. Irish Independent Aug 07

• More than their fair share of complaints? Irish Independent Aug 07

• Another irony is that New York is so well policed by mainly Irish-decended cops. As of 2005, New York City had the lowest crime rate among the ten largest cities in the USA.

PR:

• Citizens arrest is no longer applicable here for fear of prosecution. The admonishment normally applied by Judges & Superintendents to have-a-go heroes is "taking the law into one's own hands". As a citizen, I would argue that the law has always been the people's; Police are hired merely as extensions of power & reach. Further, a Force or "Service" that is divorced from the will of the populace that it purports to serve will not get any support & will fail on all counts. That clock is already ticking in the Republic.

• A purpose-built station house opened in Feb 2001 in Limerick City that is only open during office hours, in spite of it's relative proximity to two of the nation's most notorious & organised crime-infested hell-holes. Irish Examiner Aug 02

• Possible prevention of the rescue of a drowning man? : Independent Sept 07

Road safety:

• A road safety top cop in the Republic was recently done for drink driving. Irish Times Mar 07

• They are pointing the 3 speed guns in their possession down the wrong type of road; motorways & dual carriageways are statistically the safest. Irish Times Mar 05

• Cyclists can now break the speed limit in the nations capital: RTE News Aug 07; so we have a law that is inequitable in & by it's own terms.

Reclaim the streets, or cower in station houses?

Our brave boys in blue can collect their pay without a blush in spite of every town on the state now having at least one no-go area (Limerick has three!).

I suppose this has a lot to do with the EU Political Correctness aspiration that is endemic in most Irish governments, & their fear of the Liberal backlash as a result of loads of riot footage bouncing around the TV networks of Europe if they dare to wade in (nothing to do with driving, but while I’m ranting…) Fitzgerald Report, re Limerick, April 07





A: You will be fined €5,000 for smoking illegally in Ireland. You will be fined €2,000 if you get very drunk, drive your car and kill two people. This has happened.
- Mary Kenny, "The Irish Independent"




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