Michael Commane
Tuesday last week I was sitting down watching the RTE 1 Nine O’Clock News. I was about to turn off the television when I half heard something about a report from the Garda Inspectorate. I put down what I was doing and decided to listen and then after the news the Chief Inspector of the Garda Inspectorate, Robert K Olson was interviewed by Miriam O’Callaghan on Prime Time.
I could not believe some of the things he was saying. What is it about this small island of ours and how we run our affairs?
Aspects of the Report paint the Garda Siochána as a subsidiary of the Keystone Cops.
The Report noted that the recording of incidents is haphazard, inexperienced gardaí are investigating serious crimes, and there is a lack of oversight of the decision-making process. These are just some of its findings.
And simply watching the interview with Mr Olson I began to wonder what at all is going on at An Garda Siochána.
It often strikes me there are close parallels between the police and priests in Ireland. In the past there was an air of untouchability about both organisations. In many ways they gave the impression they were above the law
Before I say another word, let me clearly state that any time I have needed the assistance of the Garda I have found them most helpful, indeed kind too. I trust our police force. Also, I have some close friends who are gardaí, people for whom I have great respect
From time to time gardaí have been more than decent to me when I may not have been keeping all the rules of the road while cycling.
But an incident comes to mind
Back in 1998 I was commuting on a weekly basis from Belfast to Dublin on the Enterprise. At the time non-EU citizens were moving to the North of Ireland and then travelling to Dublin by rail. It was some sort of scam that was being perpetrated.
Over a number of weeks I noticed that there were gardaí waiting for the Enterprise train at Connolly Station.
But I also observed they were only stopping non Caucasians. So on one occasion I went up to a garda and asked him why he was being selective in the people he was stopping and what were the grounds for stopping them. I asked him why for example he was not stopping me.
He looked at me and said: “ F*** off you little bol***” I more or less took fright and ran off as fast as I could. He may well have summed me up in one, but surely that was not the way for him to behave.
In small communities I can imagine people would be slow to report their local garda. Isn’t it generally accepted that if you did so, they would be looking out for you like a hawk and that certainly there would be pay-back time. Is that simply human nature or is that a problem with our police force?
A wise man once said to me that one of the reasons for such a mess with clerical child sex abuse was that the offending priests believed they were above the law, that they were untouchable.
Probably the same can be said for miscreants in An Garda Siochaná.
Above all other organisations, a police force needs to be monitored in a most vigilant way. Those watching us need to be kept on their toes more than any other group in society.
Well done to the Garda Inspectorate.
And now am I in trouble? Again.
No comments:
Post a Comment