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THE ASSOCIATION OF Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has said it was disappointed to learn that members of the public had made complaints about gardaí for not wearing face masks at checkpoints.
Yesterday the Garda Ombudsman (Gsoc) said it had received more than 70 complaints from members of the public about an aspect of enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions.
One in three of the complaints alleged gardaí were not observing social distancing or were not using gloves and/or masks.
“The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors wants to clarify to the public that gardaí do not routinely wear face masks when policing Covid-19 checkpoints and / or on other related duties,” the representative association said today.
It explained that gardaí are not mandated to do so by garda management.
“AGSI is however on the record for advocating for the wearing of masks where physical distancing is not possible.”
On Tuesday Garda Commissioner Drew Harris revealed gardaí have invoked their emergency pandemic enforcement powers 76 times since they came into effect on 8 April.
Some of these incidents are already before the courts. Pre-existing enforcement powers were also used in 760 incidents where other offences were highlighted in the course of Covid-19 operations.
He said the vast majority of people are compliant with the current public health advice.
Harris also said there have been 31 incidents since 8 April in which gardaí were spat at or coughed on.
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70 people obviously with too much time on their hands!
Agreed.
@ThatLJD: Like the many commenters on the Journal.ie
@WreckDefier: touché mon frere! At least majority of people here know they’re only wasting their own time (I hope they do otherwise they’ve issues) not the Garda or anyone else’s!
@ThatLJD: 70 people probably benefitting from the €350 a week and whinging that they can’t go to the pub
@ThatLJD: Are justified complaints concerning guards now to be condemed? They are not above genuine questions being asked. Was stopped a few times concerning travel. No problem, All except one were courteous in doing their jobs.
@Donal Desmond: I never said justified but its not a legal requirement to wear them, their own guidance doesn’t say its mandatory so it’s a nothing complaint. Genuine complaints are what they are and there to be investigated. This is willful time wasting by idiots exactly like me with time on their hands but with more balls to be vindictive. I prefer to watch re runs of neighbours and pretend I am Toady!
@Sirius: Typical blueshirt responce. The face people lost their jobs does,t seem to concern you. Are you saying that the guards are not open to complaints. Did you ever ask yourself how the investigation into Norrens missing mobile phones and laptops is progressing or the missing millions that disappeared in Templemore.
@ThatLJD: probably bloody Gemma…
@Sirius: How good does that boot taste? You’re practically devouring it at this point.
@Donal Desmond: not exactly justified as investigations into them are not complete yet.
@Patricia O’Reilly: yes most of this was her cohort you can see from her twitter. Shes an absolute gowl.
@Patricia O’Reilly: I somehow think that’s the answer to a lot of people’s silly annoying waste of time problems at the minute!
@Donal Desmond: your response doesn’t look right.
@WreckDefier: Why have commentators when you can have commenters..
@ThatLJD: Wouldn’t one imagine that the “Idiots” in the Omnibus office would recognise that fact that these complaints were vexatious, now 76 reports,- wouldn’t take too much time to run through them and notice that , and if any were of concern . Just wonder Why The Omnibus Man had to issue comments at this stage ?? .
@Seaniecp: What I mean , people are justified to complain if they feel they have been unfairly treated when dealing with the guards. Vast majority of guards have common Sence, but there are some .. In all walks of life shouldn’t be allowed to deal with the public.
If they were wearing masks the same individuals would be accusing them of trying to hide their identities
@garrett:
No your mixing that up with when they were masks at evictions with RUC men.
I saw an incident in a town in West cork where a drunk man was shouting I have covid, they approached him in full haz suits masks etc, after it was over they wiped down atm etc, to be fair they have a lot to deal with, on a side note they bent over backwards to help me a few weeks ago, my anxiety about meeting people and they totally understood, they are front line and will be as human as possible, kudos to them
As long as there social distancing I don’t see the problem
All of Gemma O Doherty’s lackies, she was boasting on Twitter yesterday that her supporters had lodged 70+ complaints about Garda behaviour…
@Pat Hartnett: you follow her on twitter??? Were you forced to do this? Are you being held hostage? We can send help if you want?
@ThatLJD: Instead of going to mass for my sins, I’m forcing myself to read Gemma the Ghouls tweets…
@Pat Hartnett: You’ve done the equivalent of 1 million confessions just by following her, you are redeemed, you have served your punishment.
@Pat Hartnett: you poor man! I’ve been onto amnesty International, they’ve arranged for you to go to a prison in North Korea where you’ll be treated better! I do have a question, what have you done to deserve this? Are you Hitler?
@Pat Hartnett: God would someone put an iron mask on her. She should be charged with wasting police time. Ignorant cow.
Everyone should be wearing masks. No reason we shouldn’t have the ability to produce enough for everyone.
@munsterman1: any time I have been stopped they are asking questions 6 feet from the car at least
@Quentin Moriarty: Really? When I was stopped, the guard put his head inside the window. Like in all walks of life, some people have more cop on than others
@Anne Marie Devlin: fair enough. If you look at the photo above though you will see that all the gardai are well back from the car. The first Garda in the line although he is closer to that vehicle than the others there is no passenger in it so he is still 6 feet from the driver .
@Quentin Moriarty: How to arrest someone if necessary with more then 2 meters?
@Quentin Moriarty: With everything else, it depends on who you get, I have had a pretty bad experience with Gardai seemingly trying to lick my cheek in checkpoints, but others then have been very considerate to the social distancing. Some have cop on, others dont
@Godknows: lasso? You’d just need to be really really good!
@Aaron O’Leary: Problem is it takes only one badly trained Garda to potentially infect a nursing home worker going to work and well we all know what happens then
@Aaron O’Leary: or the opposite, way things are nursing home workers more likely to spread it and then onto the friendly 7ft Garda from Offaly who’ll be in contact with 100s during the checkpoint.
@Anne Marie Devlin: of course he put his head through the window, sure ;)
@ThatLJD: Yeah totally! And it occurs because the Garda decided to stick his head in the window of someones car
@Aaron O’Leary: or someone sticks their head out of the window? Window is open, either option could happen! Except in this case, neither could also happen. I’m confused.
@ThatLJD: It’s the damn windows
@Sirius: if you stuck your head ‘in’ someone’s window. Yih would literally be able to Kidd then on the cheek. Pure exaggeration although I’m sure there has been instances a bit too close but bear in mind some of them are doing 16 hour static checkpoints with little breaks. Easy to get tired and make a mistake. I’m glad all the journal commenters are so perfect always.
@Seaniecp: I put it down to habit. If you have been doing something for years, it takes a little time to readjust. The Gardaí I mean ..
@Logan Shepherd: i would agree with that being a factor for some also.
@Godknows: “How to arrest someone if necessary with more then 2 meters?”
The Long Arm of the Law, obviously!
@munsterman1: just wonder were the complainants wearing Masks, a dirty sock stuffed into their mouths would help.
It’s there own choice. In the main all the Garda I have encountered, sometimes 2-3 times a day, are A1, a credit to the force.
Yes it’s fine, but when the Garda stick his head into your car window and gets annoyed when you ask him to not get so close, then there is an issue.
@Aaron O’Leary: To clarify I mean it’s an issue when a Garda not wearing a mask, sticks his head in your window to you
@Aaron O’Leary: so, you are one of the 70 who lodged a complaint then? If your story is true.
@Sirius: I lodged a complaint about a Garda acting aggressive when I asked him to take his head out of my window and stop trying to breathe on me
@Sirius: Are you finished licking that boot now? I’m sure you must be full.
There’s a story doing the rounds on a man getting arrested face down in the mud while fishing by the lake with his young daughter, Garda in his face with no gloves or face masks. It’s completely unnecessary heavy handed totalitarianism which seems to be the flavour of the day since a certain appointment. A large number of our law enforcement are abusing their authority but if we question any section of the establishment or their policy we are labelled with being racist anarchists
@Agenda21: There was a facebook link to it posted yesterday, can’t confirm the date really but no matter what it was pretty insane
@Agenda21: where did this happen?
@Agenda21: ‘there is a story doing the rounds’, ‘there was a link on facebook yesterday’, in other words complete BS with no source
@D Mems: Well it did show Gardai acting very heavily handed with a teenager, it was a video, now the date it was recorded, no clue tbh
@D Mems: it’s a man getting arrested in a very heavy handed way in front of his daughter. It was capture on a phone cam and shared online.. But sure it has to be BS if thee ffg brigade haven’t approved the source isn’t that right
@D Mems: no there is a source, but it’s most likely an embarrassing state of an individual! Fishing by a lake with his daughter, face down in mud… There is so much wrong with that, I doubt the person who made it up has been outside, has ever been by a lake, I could go on only its very funny!
@Agenda21: the man was arrested for public order offences. The video started after his arrest . It amazes me how gullible people are with these videos. There was nothing insane about it. These incidents happen in real time.
@Agenda21: how can you judge a situation from a few minute video that starts way after the arrest. And have so much opinion on it. Heavy handed ? Do people usually being arrested for public order comply? Dont be such a baby. Its that’s mans daughter and maybe it should of been his behaviour in front of her that should been better. Dont believe everything you see
@Aaron O’Leary: that man was in no way a teenager. And if he was that would be irrelevant.
@Seaniecp: I’m not going to argue with you as your obviously a ffg boot licker traitor West brit blue shirt so what’s the ppint
@Agenda21: hahahaha. That says it all really. Grow up.
@Seaniecp: you going to stand there and take that convoluted bunch of contradicting insults? Do you want me to hold you back with my lasso (social distancing and all)?
I wonder what directives were given to the Gardaí in relation to Covid checkpoints. I can only speak for my area, but social distancing was not one of them. Old habits die hard, and Gardaí tend to get the nose as close to the car as possible. Were they told to just go out and set up checkpoints, or were they trained on how Covid checkpoints should be managed.
@Logan Shepherd: Yup same, had the same experience a few occasions and none were very happy when asked to step away from my window
@Aaron O’Leary: I think that’s because there was no specific directive given to them in relation to the checkpoints. I’ve had to check myself several times, not to shake hands.
@Logan Shepherd: Theres no excuse for no directive being given in this when Gardai are being ordered to deal with the public on a far closer / frequent than usual situation in the midst of a pandemic. That’s just stupid
@Aaron O’Leary: I agree Aaron, but I don’t think there was. Checkpoints seem to be set up and operated in the same manner as they always were. It’s easy for me to have a pop at the Garda that nearly had his head in my window, but he has always wanted to do that, to see what fumes are floating around :)
@Logan Shepherd: At every checkpoint when I was stopped in the last 40 years the Garda always stood at the driver window – in the picture I draw attention to the fact that they are talking in the passenger window – so this is a very basic fundamental change in the way checkpoints are set up.
I have checked with a few health care workers I know and they say it is usually the passenger window – which begs the question, what happens if you have no electric windows or a left hand drive car?
Only when there are confirmed cases you will start asking to wear masks like hospitals, why?
@Godknows: Because they want it to spread, but slowly so that it wont overwhelm the hospitals
Usual, one rule for them one for us. If the gardai were questioning you from 2 metres away, fine. but they come right up to your window. It makes no sense to give them, or anybody else some kind of dispensation in a crisis like this. Viruses don’t recognise uniforms.
@Chrissy Beanz: And if they have stopped a Covid infected person at the start of the shift a few days back…………..
A lot of transmission was by people without showing symptoms.
Why should a virus act differently in a Spar shop, where plexiglass screens are in use, is the virus that good at discriminating?
The complainants must be related to Gemma O’Doherty.
Whatever happened to policing by consent? Front line staff were supposed to wear PPE. I suppose some are selling these items on eBay, others may not have even read legislation that’s being inforced. Have we returned to the bad days when gardai were above the law.
When you look at our current position. A caretaker FG Taoiseach who also hold the office of minister for defence. Two pillars of our constitution held by one person. Our basic fabric of democracy undermined. Only justice stands independent by a slim cord.
70 people, all of whom were named Karen and wanted to speak to the supervisor
Not maintaining social distancing complaints are ridiculous, do they also complain about ambulances or fire crews or when hospital staff of the same. They can’t maintain distancing surely. Stupid complaints.
@Ian D: Lets make it simple, an example: A nursing home health care worker goes through a checkpoint, an asymptomatic Garda peers in her window, far too close (which happens quite commonly, happened to me alone a few times) healthcare worker contracts COVID, goes to work. 2 weeks later we have further deaths in a nursing home that had none prior to this.
Of course they can keep their distance, you can very easily ask someone where they are going from 6 feet away as many Garda are.
@Ian D: Or opposite, Garda sticks his head in the window, contracts covid from a health care worker, suddenly 100 odd Gardai are sick.
@Aaron O’Leary: or infects the 100s of people he speaks to during the course of a checkpoint, people in the public, prompting a new surge from one event.
What’s weird is GSOC going to the papers with it before even checking their validity. Are GSOC looking for cheap publicity or what is it?
Mostly Gemma O’Dohertys cohorts wasting Everyones time
Stopped at checkpoints most days on the way to/from work. The Gardaí are nothing but courteous and professional. Do make their lives harder by being obnoxious like a certain person the other day. BTW their wet weather gear is dreadful.
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