New Garda in area harrassing locals

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mercman

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A new Garda was posted to a very rural area replacing the old Garda that was very fair and dealt with matters swiftly and had the respect of the locals.

The new Garda has chosen to make the locals life hell: waiting outside the pubs, writing down registration numbers of people in pub so they can be approached the following morning. If tax or Insurance is expired rather than offer a casual word issues summons. Walking into pubs to clear them and forcing customers out before drinks finished. Warning people/elderly who park incorrectly outside the local shop. Countless road blocks in different locations for speeding. Lays down the law sternly to the local publicans.

This is an area where there has never been trouble.

But in the same manner he goes into the Pub, has four pints and drives home himself, frequently.

The same Garda was transferred from his last area because of cheesing the locals off.

What are people to do to rid themselves of this hasstle ?? Any ideas ?
 
Set up a petition and hand it to his superior? Get people to write letters to his superior complaining?

Take pictures of him boozing and getting into the car and driving... mayb a bit far
 
I don't think there is a lot you can do about him implementing the law in a way that is annoying people, even if this is not the correct way to be policing the area, but if he is driving over the limit, you should report him. It is illegal, immoral, and outrageous that he is pulling people up on minor infringments of the parking laws where this is not affecting other people, but at the same time breaking a law designed to save lives.
 
mathepac said:
Report his drink-driving to the local supernitendent.
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in writing, by registered post ensuring there are multiple individual complainants, writing about specific incidents. Give the super 30 days in which to take action about the drink-driving. If the super fails to act, refer the complaint and the lack of action to the Chief Superintendent or directly to [broken link removed].
 
Other than having pints himself and driving (which we all know is wrong and he shouldn't get away with it) everything else is keeping with enforcing the law which is his job and perhaps if we had more like him this cushy attitude of letting car tax run out, speeding because 'you know the local roads' and drinking after hours because you are 'enjoying your night out' might actually be stopped.

I'm by no means a model citizen (I'll admit to going above the speed limit regularily and am always the last person to leave the pub) but I say stop giving him a hard time for doing his job at the end of day.
 
Yeager said:
but I say stop giving him a hard time for doing his job at the end of day.
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In an area where there never has been any kind of serious trouble. What happened to the flexibility factor ?
 
Flexibility is important I agree but some little villages have had it easy for long enough with alot of things tolerated as its always been the way and sure what harm type attitudes.

It may have worked in the past and you will argue it still does but the older Gards were from a different era when things were different and this approach is and was abused by some folks for long enough.

All I think of is Killinaskully
 
We think you need to ignore this behaviour of the new Garda - This is not normal behaviour of any Garda in any shape , make or form .

You will find that if you put this to the back of your mind , it will eventually peter out .
He is entitled to enforce the law , but he will learn to use discretion , give him time .

If he continues to break the law himself , you will find that he will be soon brought to account .( probably behind closed doors though )
 
This has been going on for over a year now. And it gets worse by the day. All the young people make their way out of the area at weekends, as simply their view is that being around is not worth the hasstle. They base this opinion on when in the bigger towns and cities the Gardai watch the drunkards knock the hell out of one another and innocent bystanders and nothing is done but in a very small town this Garda is looking for trouble to start. I'm sorry to say that he does not know the meaning of the word discretion and has definitely learned nothing from his past failings.
 
allthedoyles said:
... This is not normal behaviour of any Garda in any shape , make or form ...
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All the more reason why his law-breaking activities need be highlighted to his superiors.
allthedoyles said:
We think you need to ignore this behaviour of the new Garda ...
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It cannot be ignored. He is in a position of authority in the community and cannot be seen to be above the law.
allthedoyles said:
... He is entitled to enforce the law , but he will learn to use discretion , give him time ...
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Because he is a law-breaker, he has lost the confidence of the community, is betraying the trust placed in him by his superiors and is bringing the Gardai into disrepute, therefore he needs to go and has lost all entitlements as an enforcement officer.
 
Thank you mathepac for been so eloquent in your surmising. He, his wife and kids live in the area. It must be very lonely sometimes living with a bully like this.
 
Although I don't think religious principles should enter into the conduct of official business in Ireland, my first thought is that it should be for him who is without sin to cast the first stone. In other words, if a person has taken advantage of a more informal style of policing to bend the law a bit, he is then in a bad position to complain about strict enforcement.

It might be a good idea for somebody who has a clear conscience to have an informal discussion with the Superintendent and make the point that good policing is not solely about enforcement.

Personally, I'd be cautious about reporting him for drinking and driving in the course of the same conversation. That might be dealt with by another person at another time. It is a big deal to report a Garda for law-breaking. It's a big deal for him, because it might cost him his job; it's a big deal for the person who does the reporting, because some Gardaí will keep a special eye out for the complainant, and if ever he steps out of line he will be nailed.
 
Reporting him is a high risk game for the informant. Expect your car details to be flagged on PULSE for special attention.
 
It's a big deal for a Garda to be a persistent, dangerous law-breaker, it's a bigger deal for me that he not be reported simply because he's a Garda or because his erstwhile colleagues might want pay-back. I'd prefer that he lose his job rather than his life or that he take someone else's.
 
I would report his drink driving but I would not complain about him doing his job even if it does seem OTT.
 
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