A Garda Inspectorate report has revealed concerns regarding some Garda storage facilities throughout the country, which are either overflowing or inadequate. These conditions have subjected employees to strong drug and substance odours. Furthermore, the excessive volume of confiscated cash being stored has made personnel fear for their safety.
The matter of efficient drug storage was brought to the attention of a chief superintendent due to the unsafe environment created. However, the issue was left unresolved as the Garda National Repository was already saturated, making long-term storage transfers impossible.
The removal of items already selected for disposal in 2018 was impeded by a lack of clear disposal procedures. The Garda Property and Exhibits Management System (Pems), scrutinised by the Garda Inspectorate, stores essential evidence including items pertaining to serious offences such as gangland crimes and sexual assaults.
The review team noted the storage of forensic exhibits in refrigerators as well as the arrangements for storing cash and firearms. The report cited overcrowded refrigerators storing exhibits dating back years and found no individual had been tasked with overseeing their management. The report also took note of the unnecessary quantity of cash stored, which could have been deposited in banks.
In an evaluation of Pems as a continuation to its 2014 crime investigation review, the inspectorate identified several areas with room for improvement, despite overall progress made. For instance, the security at some Pems facilities was dissimilar, with some units equipped with a lock, keypad and swipe access, others with only a lock and no additional security. In some places, secure cages were installed to store funds, drugs, and firearms and required the presence of two staff to be opened. However, such additional security measures were missing in other instances.
The Garda Inspectorate review, disclosed earlier this week, reported on considerable quantities of cash, narcotics, firearms, and ammunitions being stored in Pems facilities, causing unease among the storekeepers due to the worth of the items deposited. Consequently, it has been proposed that crime prevention personnel thoroughly examine the security measures in place at all depots containing exhibits and confiscated items. Despite Pems handling an annual influx of 10,000 novel cases, linkages with other Garda IT structures including email communications were conspicuous by their absence, an issue which requires remedial attention, underscored the Inspectorate. There was also bafflement surrounding the precise mechanisation of evidence handling and storage processes within Pems, including packaging, documenting, and safekeeping narcotics. Some Garda officers expressed apprehensions about the potential for the evidence sequence to be breached due to the disparate electronic and paper-based systems utilised for record-keeping. This inconsistency arose from the absence of scanners throughout the force to digitally manage exhibits. When items were temporarily removed from the Pems system, no directives existed regarding the maximum duration for which items could be taken out or how they should be looked after and stored. There was also no recorded trail for items removed, constituting an organisational hazard. Ignorance regarding protocols to be followed for missing evidence was also prevalent. The Garda Inspectorate’s Appraisal of Pems highlighted significant advancements since 2014 but still advised enhancements related to IT, safety protocols, and cultivating more comprehensive training for Garda officers. To date, only 18 percent of the Garda force have been adequately trained in Pems IT usage.