Text 24. Garda siochana

“An Garda Siochana na hEireann” (in English – “Guardians of the Peace of Ireland”) is Ireland’s national police service. The service is responsible for the maintenance of law and order throughout the Republic of Ireland. The mission of the Garda Siochana is to protect life and property, to safeguard the liberties of the individual, to preserve public peace, to prevent and detect crime, to provide guidance for young people as they seek to become caring, law-abiding citizens and in so doing to provide a quality service to the public while maintaining the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and efficiency.

They have the following rank structure in the Garda Siochana:

• Commissioner

• Deputy Commissioner

• Assistant Commissioner

• Chief Superintendent

• Superintendent

• Inspector

• Sergeant

• Garda

• Student

Nowadays they have almost 11 000 members in the police service stationed in about 700 police stations throughout the country. The population of the Republic of Ireland is 3.5 million with 1.1 million people in Dublin, the capital city. The levels of serious violent crimes in the Republic are the lowest in comparison to that of other developed countries while the detection rates are comparable to other countries.

The entry level to the service is at the rank of Student Garda. Competitions for entry into the Garda Siochana are usually held once every three years. The Student Garda undergo an intensive two year training programme, with subjects such as Law, Social Science, Communications, the Irish Language, Physical Training. The training includes theoretical training at the Garda Siochana College in Templemore and work experience at placement stations. Irish is the first official language of the Republic of Ireland and English is the second official language. Every member of the Garda Siochana must be suitably qualified in both languages. Successful students will then be appointed to the police service, and have promotional prospects up through the ranks to the level of Commissioner.

Besides domestic duties, the Garda Siochana also performs peace- keeping duties overseas with the United Nations.

The Garda Siochana is a civil police service and uniformed members of the service do not carry firearms. Policing is carried out in both rural and urban areas by uniformed officers equipped with only a modest truncheon. Firearms are carried by detectives.

Unit 12 Text 25. Research and new developments in policing

American policing strategy underwent a crisis during the 1960s. Crime continued to rise despite massive financial outlays for increased numbers of police. With the fear of crime escalating more rapidly than crime itself, citizens refrained from using public and private facilities, took self-defensive measures, and abandoned city streets and parks. Research studies were initiated to find a means of reversing these trends.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, both civilian and police groups assumed that the primary activity of police officers was dealing with crime and doing so with little discretion. Research on police functions conducted during this period showed that when police activities, calls, and dispatches were analyzed, anticrime activities constituted less than 20% of patrol activities. The remaining patrol functions included resolving conflicts, providing emergency services, maintaining order, and providing other public services. It was also discovered that police officers used discretion in handling criminal or other events.

American studies on the efficacy of preventive automobile patrols found that relatively little crime-related activity resulted from police initiatives. The vast majority of arrests (93%) resulted from citizens’ requests for police actions. Later studies suggested that preventive patrol by automobile did not effectively attain its goals to reduce crime, increase the public’s satisfaction with police, or decrease citizens’ fear of crime. Moreover, research studies suggested that alternative approaches might achieve better results and produce greater levels of citizen satisfaction.

Introduced in the New York City Police Department team policing emphasizes decentralized patrol decisions by teams of officers policing a limited geographical area. Patrol decisions are made on the basis of relatively close communication with local leaders and residents.

Another promising area of police activity focuses on eliminating the opportunities for crime. Certain conditions, such as leaving one’s keys in a car, invite crime. By identifying conditions that increase the likelihood of criminal activity, police can help develop policies and procedures to alter conditions and make crimes more difficult to commit. Automobile thefts can be reduced, for example, by making automobiles more difficult to steal.

In 1980s strong community anticrime efforts were developed in many countries, including the United States. It represented a return to the ancient tradition of social obligation, with each citizen obliged to come to the aid of others. There developed neighborhood groups in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago which proved to be relatively effective in reducing crime and fear in neighborhoods. Police experience and research suggest that police action, in itself, is limited in its ability to prevent and investigate crime. Police can be successful only to the extent that they work closely with citizens.