The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has appealed to the government to boost recruitment for guards. They argue that the current government goal for policing force sizes are inadequate and do not meet the country’s requirements. Instead of the existing plan to increase the force from its present count of 14,000 to 15,000 in the approaching years, the AGSI suggests that a force size of 18,000 is required to efficiently police the Republic.
AGSI’s deputy general secretary, Ronan Clogher, expressed concern that the traditional model of Irish policing, where guards serve their communities and build relationships with the public, is gradually being replaced by less appealing “reactive” systems as seen in the United Kingdom.
At the AGSI’s annual delegate conference in Westport, Co Mayo, he highlighted the combination of increased bureaucracy for police members, stringent disciplinary surroundings and inadequate police number as causing many new and older guards to resign or retire early.
Mr Clogher pointed out the reality that though the population has swelled by 650,000 since 2007, the guard count has barely changed since that time. Despite the diversity and growing demands on the guards, efforts to increase the guard count to 15,000 by the government and senior Guard management have been largely unsuccessful due, in part, to low retention rates. Policing has become less enticing as a career for the younger generation.
Mr Clogher further explained that the surge in applications seen in the previous year, of more than 6,000, was an anomaly – as it followed the maximum application age being raised from 35 to 50 years old. He anticipates that future recruitments will only draw in around 3,000 applicants. This, combined with increasing age-induced retirements, will present significant challenges to maintaining the necessary policing force.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris were scheduled to speak at the AGSI conference on Tuesday. On this occasion, Mr Clogher would question them about their thoughts on the increased resignation rate within the Garda. He postulates that the new investigation management system within the Garda has resulted in an increased taskload for minor offences, such as petty thefts. This has left gardaí “swamped with station work” recording electronic records instead of patrolling.
He also identified an emerging trend of punishing gardaí for minor shortcomings. He sees this as posing additional stress on gardaí during a period when force numbers are dwindling and their workload is already substantial.
There is a pressing need for the Garda to adopt a mindset that emphasises learning from small blunders instead of the present tendency to discipline hastily. Numerous young gardaí, feeling exasperated, are choosing to depart from the force.
He opines that both the Garda management and the Government should consider pay raises for early-career Garda members and overturn measures that have decreased the pensions for those who joined the force after 2013. If these changes are implemented, alongside recruiting more gardaí and providing accommodation to young ones in Dublin, he believes it would make policing a more desirable career for the youth, hence augmenting recruitment attempts.