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AGSI general secretary John Redmond Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Tazers and whistleblowers up for debate during AGSI conference

Members of the 31 AGSI branches will debate range of motions during this week’s conference.

THE ASSOCIATION OF Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) will hold its annual conference this week – although Justice Minister Alan Shatter won’t be attending.

High on the agenda during the ‘Haddington Road: Your Association. Your Review’ conference will be the reform they would like to see take place in an Garda Síochána.

The AGSI’s 31 branches will debate 23 motions, including:

  • The provision of a Police Authority to regulate the force
  • Issuing of Tazers to more gardaí
  • Having the confidential reporting charter reviewed and revised to make it more robust in the protection of genuine garda whistleblowers
  • Training for newly promoted Sergeants
  • Anew and updated job specification for Sergeants
  • A medical review over the prevalence of adverse health conditions among gardaí since the introduction of the Westmanstown Roster.

General Secretary John Redmond added they they have introduced a new feature to the conference this year in the form of a panel debate.

We pose the question – ‘what should a modern police force look like?’ We have external experts joining us so that the views are representative of modern Ireland and not just of our Association.

Panel members include Tom O’Malley, Senior Lecturer in Law, NUI Galway, Tony Geoghegan, CEO, Merchants Quay Ireland and broadcaster Marc Coleman.

John Redmond of AGSI will also sit on the panel, and Jonathan Healy of Newstalk will chair the debate.

As Minister Shatter will not be attending, acting Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will address delegates tomorrow afternoon, and will take their questions.

The conference will run until Wednesday 16 April at the Malton Hotel in Killarney.

Read: Otherwise engaged: Alan Shatter has decided not to attend this year’s AGSI conference>

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21 Comments
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    Mute Sarcasmo
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:52 AM

    I never really understood what the death penalty is trying to achieve. It seems to take the assumption that criminals won’t commit a serious crime for fear of the consequence of being put to death.
    If criminals committing serious crimes had a fear of the consequences then half the prisons of the world would be empty

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    Mute Keith Maguire
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:46 AM

    The same could be said for long prison terms. It depends on how you look at the prison system really. If you look at it as simply a way to deter other criminals then it is not effective on it’s own. If you look at it as a way to rid society of a particularly dangerous person then it is generally effective.

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    Mute Alanearls
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:49 AM

    I think it better than the irish policy of killing someone and been released after 5/6 years, then strolling off to the airport and going on holidays…

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Apr 16th 2015, 10:34 AM

    you wouldn’t be saying that if you committed murder in ireland. I reckon the whole system has to be overhauled and reform detention centre’s for re-offenders. Kind of like emerald city in the tv show ‘OZ’ but more realistic. Education and learning what make’s each individual tick is the key here, not lock them up eave them out mentality.

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    Mute Sarcasmo
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    Apr 16th 2015, 11:01 AM

    Yeah as you say it applies to long term sentences as well, they don’t seem to work as a deterrent either. The whole justice system seems fundamentally flawed. No matter what the punishment its going to be reactive, without proactive measures to stop crime all that will happen is more and more prison overcrowding

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    Mute Tis himself
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:46 AM

    Bring it to ireland

    132
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    Mute Andrew O Cionnaith
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:52 AM
    69
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    Mute Tis himself
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:52 AM

    To test in pidgeons of course

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    Mute Unfortunately
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:53 AM

    I get the usual points raised by anti death penalty crowd. But in that case it would be good if life jail term actually meant life jail term – not 10 years.
    Companies get sued for false advertising. Life jail in Europe is the biggest false advertising to me I heard.

    107
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    Mute Chris
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:56 AM

    Watch the brilliant documentary ‘Into the Abyss’ by master filmaker Warner Herzog.

    It will really force you to re think those views you have in favour of the death penalty :)

    41
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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:13 AM

    Backward, uneducated, god loving savages…god and violence go hand in hand and a terrible example to children…”we kill people to show that killing people is wrong”…duh!…spa’s

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    Mute Antrim/Kurdistan
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:44 AM

    An eye for an eye

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    Mute albhbc
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    Apr 16th 2015, 10:00 AM

    And everyone is blind.

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    Mute The Dude
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    Apr 16th 2015, 12:09 PM

    @Paul Lane – how do you make out that God and violence go hand in hand? Did you just make that up?

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    Mute Munster2014
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    Apr 16th 2015, 12:11 PM

    Not true, the last man will have one eye left. Serious crimes deserve serious punishment including the loss of ones right to life. We are too soft in this country and should have at least one method of execution available to our courts.

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    Mute Seaghán Corcoran
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    Apr 16th 2015, 1:00 PM

    Have ye read the bible? God be like “Here sheep, kill your son if you love me”. Sheep be like “ok”. God be like “Ahhhhhhh, only joking, I will kill the majority of the human race one day”.. God is a violent wind up merchant :)

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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:04 AM

    Two wrongs don’t make a right.
    Being locked up behind bars with no human contact other than being fed is punishment enough .

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    Mute Gonzo Doyle
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:54 AM

    Exclusive from our star witness Michael Clinton!

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    Mute Seaghán Corcoran
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:18 AM

    Can’t see a police officer facing the same treatment for killing an innocent person like in recent times..

    76
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:45 AM

    In Texas if you kill someone you could get the death penalty in Ireland you could be freed in 5 years with a couple of million euros in the bank account all set for a new life in the sun.
    Who has the better justice system?

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    Mute Dave barrett
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:04 AM

    Death penality is and can be proved wrong when evidence found can acquit someone of a crime. No point in saying oops we made a mistake after someone is injected to death

    59
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:18 AM

    I suppose it’s slightly preferable to having the cops execute them before they even get charged.

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    Mute Conor O'Neill
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    Apr 16th 2015, 8:53 AM

    Could use it in the southern parts. Cork could be the Texas of Ireland!

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    Mute Atticus the Accuser
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:19 AM

    Ah Texas will you ever learn?

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    Mute Brian Gormley
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:34 AM

    Good enough for them they won’t do it again

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Apr 16th 2015, 10:00 AM

    What about those who didn’t do it and are executed Brian?

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    Mute Martin O' Neill
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    Apr 16th 2015, 11:05 AM

    Good, we should have the death penalty here!

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    Mute Boganity
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    Apr 16th 2015, 11:32 AM

    Trolling would be a capital offence and you’d be first to be ceremoniously despatched

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    Mute FastBuck
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    Apr 16th 2015, 2:49 PM

    As long as innocent people can be executed, there is no justification for this. What about the lad in Alabama last week who was exonerated after 30 odd years on death row? Anyone who supports this is a savage, backward animal. If it’s such a deterrent why is the crime rate in the good ole US of A still so high? Ask yourselves that before you thump your bible you rotten rednecks.

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    Mute Stephen Kearon
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    Apr 16th 2015, 2:38 PM

    Should be same here for those found guilty of capital murder, terrorism and child rape

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    Mute Dáibhí Pádraig Buitléar
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    Apr 16th 2015, 12:53 PM

    Good these thugs brought pain n suffering by murdering ppl so I say fair play if they’re execution is painful

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    Mute Jay Finn
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    Apr 16th 2015, 3:15 PM

    The most worrying thing about a barbaric law like the death penalty, is how many people in this country seem to think it’s actually a good idea.

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    Mute FastBuck
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    Apr 16th 2015, 2:56 PM

    Child rape, while probably the most horrible crime imaginable, still doesn’t warrant the death penalty. Firstly, most of these rapes are committed by relatives, so if the death penalty was in place the chances of it being reported would drop drastically. Secondly, it creates an added incentive to murder the child, insofar as the rapist will think their chances of not being caught would be better if the child wasn’t around to talk about it. The justice of the rusty knife would be far more applicable in these cases.

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    Mute John O'Dwyer
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    Apr 16th 2015, 9:52 PM

    Just a quick question. …should someone who murders someone else and leaves family and love ones with that person forever, be allowed to live and have their loved ones be able to visit chat and engage in their lives?? I think not if you take someone’s else’s life you should not be allowed live yours regardless of how barbaric it may be after all that person didn’t cars how much he or she hurt the other person

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