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GARDA BOSSES ARE carrying out a report examining a plan to stop gardaí attending some non-crime-related incidents such as minor road crashes, The Journal has learned.
Sources have said Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has appointed a deputy commissioner to examine a number of incident types with a view to streamline responses to headline crime incidents only.
It is understood that the plan is part of a broader strategy of changing the way gardaí deal with minor calls and to free up response units.
Sources have said one of the categories under consideration is material damage-only road traffic collisions. Gardaí attend such crashes, in which no one was injured, to ensure that appropriate insurance details are swapped between drivers but they do not investigate the cause of the collisions.
The garda enters details of the collision onto the force’s computer system PULSE which can then be requested if there is an insurance claim. It is a criminal offence to not provide your details at a collision.
Sources have said that senior gardaí have looked at the amount of time spent on such calls and they believe that these incidents do not need a routine garda response.
A source was anxious to stress that “gardaí are not moving to the British model – there is no intention of adopting the UK model where minor thefts are not being investigated”.
Some constabularies in Britain do not routinely respond to burglaries and thefts – instead recording the incident and issuing an incident number for an insurance claim.
A garda spokesperson confirmed in a statement that the organisation was looking at a rationalisation of the types of incidents gardaí respond to on duty.
The spokesperson said that this was in line with the findings of Chapter Nine of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report in 2018 and as part of the Government’s implementation programme of the Report.
“An Garda Síochána is currently examining non-core duties that should no longer be undertaken by Gardaí in order to free them up for core policing duties, ie preventing and tackling crime.
“The non-core duties identified by the Commission include – some aspects of security at courts, transporting all remand prisoners, serving summonses, prosecuting at district courts, attending minor road traffic accidents, and safeguarding examination papers for schools,” she said.
The garda spokesperson quoted from the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and said in relation to minor road collisions that “unless a collision results in injuries or a situation causing a hazard for road users, there should be no need for police to become involved and it is a waste of police resources to do so”.
The spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána has an obligation under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to investigate crime. For the avoidance of doubt, this covers all crime. The non-core duty review is not examining ‘minor thefts’.
“An Garda Síochána has no intention of changing its approach to investigating all crime.”
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How about a dedicated branch of the Gardai – let’s call them Garda Traffic Corps!!!
The driver could be disqualified or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and letting a person head off after causing an accident is not right.
What if the driver involved is not taxed/insured or disqualified from driving?
It would be better if they responded quickly – cleared it all up – and moved everyone on.
The sooner the rubberneckers are gone the better.
Hopefully my idea for a dedicated Garda Traffic Corp takes off!
@Rafa C: you mean roads policing ?
@Marko: Woah – hold on – you’re going too fast! Policing the roads! Are you serious??? That’s a ground breaking idea!
Let’s get together for some caramels and draw up a plan – we can trademark/copyright/patent it and sell it! We’ll be BILLIONAIRES!
What’s your myspace handle?
@Rafa C: The very things you have described there are not minor. All of those are ILLEGAL. By minor they mean a small bump, no injuries, take photographs, exchange insurance, drive on.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: You’re missing the point. I know what they mean.
But what if that person who caused the bump is drunk or on drugs? They just carry on?
So many other scenarios. The Garda are required to access the situation and make sure everyone is safe.
There are other things that can happen, intimidation, bullying, paltry cash offerings, fraudulent documents, disqualified drivers etc. etc. etc.
I know a minor bump is an exchange and move on. But sometimes it’s not as simple as that.
@Rafa C: Would the insurance companies not need a garda signature on the accident evaluation document also?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: That’s what currently happens until one of the parties won’t admit liability.
@David Corrigan: Report it to the local garda station along with your documentation of the accident.
If the car is blocking the road or traffic and it’s only minor (no injuries) you can mark the position and move the vehicles so it’s not blocking traffic.
Photo the area and go to the local station.
This happened my dad years ago, he was accused of driving along a footpath in a certain area by a garda. He went to court and presented photos of the footpath that had lamposts the whole length of the street, it was impossible to drive the full length of the road on the footpath.
It’s important to have the details and report them – that should be enough.
@pkunzip doom2.zip: a garda couldn’t determine liability either. They haven’t witnessed it and it’s not their role .
@Rafa C: Janey mack! I have a buddy who was reported for driving his van on two wheels! He was going so fast around a bend that it was up on two wheels! :-)
@sean o’dhubhghaill: so your qualified to decide if someone is intoxicated? Even if its only a tip if the other driver is under the influence yoh would be happy to let them on down the road to probably be involved in a bigger crash…. even a member of AGSi can only form an opinion that the driver is intoxicated it still requires road side test and a test back at the station…..i do understand that your talking about minor tip causing road traffic…..but unfortunately ya still need a garda to deal with the RTA
Breaking news, Garda to reduce work load by doing less work. Wait what?
Sure they doing that for years ‘ not responding
@Mark Walsh: they are responding just fine. Just not enough resources to respond to everything straight away. There is Garda stations in Dublin that couldn’t field a 5 a side football team. It’s unfair to imply they are doing nothing. It’s not unfair to imply that a better service should be expected.
@Sean Partidge: not everyone lives in Dublin
@Mark Walsh: I do. So I can only speak for that.
I’d imagine it’s even worse in parts outside of Dublin so not sure why that comment upsets you. Inferior complex perhaps ? .
There appears to be somewhat of a theme across numerous aspects of life now in Ireland in recent years, NCT testing not fit for intended purpose, driving testing system not fit for intended purpose, health service not fit for intended purpose and now Garda not fit for intended purpose, that’s not a reflection on the people working on the front lines in those organisations, its a failure of their management and the government.
The funny thing is that these shortcomings that are not only allowed to continue with nobody ever being held to account for these failures, but are accepted as being just how it is..
@David Van-Standen: government has abandoned its citizens.
@David Van-Standen: it is called neoliberalism. You have left out housing there some how
Was in an accident a few years ago where another driver ploughed into me from a minor road. Thankfully, I was alone that day and the damage was done on the passenger side. 5000 worth of damage. I called the guards and they arrived out a while later. Other fella admitted blame.
Repairs eventually got done after several lies about insurance from the other side.
Point is, if guards hadn’t come out that day, my insurance premiums would have skyrocketed. This is a really bad idea.
I’d rather not allow insurance company’s in this country have the power to decide liability, more than likely open to manipulation between themselves to lower the payouts , they are bad enough as it is
@Adrian Kehoe: Excellent point. I was knocked off my motorbike and the garda weren’t called. I was able to get up and get the bike running again, but there was a lot of damage done to it. The insurance guy came out and looked at it and examined the scene and interviewed the driver of the car involved. Eventually sided with me – as the car driver had a ‘witness’ who saw everything and said I was in the wrong – but the car driver and the ‘witness’ story was exactly the same, word for word, and they were next door neighbours!
I was offered cash to fix the bike, and I sent the amount to the driver and never heard from them again. So then I had to go through insurance. And it was a pain without a garda report.
@Adrian Kehoe: that’s why I have a dashcam
@Derek Long: Must get one now for sure!
@Derek Long: doesn’t dashcam have to be Garda witnessed to be submittable
And then what, stop responding to calls about burglaries, muggings, domestic disputes? Time to resource the Gardai properly and free them up from wasting their days in court watching scrotes with 300 convictions walk free.
The last time something like this was done was when Garda management had a massive shortage of numbers …. wonder why they are looking at it now
If one wishes to see the future, both good and bad, look to America. For example Chicago collapsing, and many many other cities. On many occasions whole stores looted and destroyed by mobs. In lesser cases shoplifting freely allowed/ignored by the cops up to a certain amount of $$.000. It starts with the cops budget, and ends with a certain accepted resignation. ‘acceptance brings normality’.
They’re already bot responding to assault and burglary calls, what calls are left to respond to once traffic accidents are gone? I know it said “minor”, but who determines that?
@PJ Beatty: Material damage, no injuries, and good exchange of information, cooperating party, photos/diagrams taken, vehicles moved without much incident.
That’s the way it’s always been. But as I said earlier in another comment, plenty of reasons to call the Garda these days for minor incidents that may not be noticeable to the untrained eye; drunk/drug drivers, false documents, intimidation, cash offerings, bullying, etc. etc.
I just don’t know you police things that the police won’t police anymore. It doesn’t make much sense.
@PJ Beatty: theyre hiring right now if you fancy giving it a go
They are finding it difficult to recruit at present, it’s not the job it used to be. The case of a Garda been charged for giving chase to three serious criminals who were driving the wrong way down the dual carriageway and were killed in a collision with a lorry would not encourage anyone
to take up been a Garda as a career. Also management are implementing changes that experienced senior Gardai say will not work indicates they are not been listened to.
I completely agree. We should do like most of Europe do: fill out a duplicate form where both parties fill out their details + accident layout diagram with road layout/signs + parts of the vehicle affected.
Then the form is sent back to insurance and they decide on the liability and outcome.
Only need to call the Guards if there is a problem (e.g. No insurance disk).
The Irish Leasing Association already has this form ready for over 20 years!
@John Ivory: This was always the case though for minor accidents. Take photos and/or draw diagrams and exchange details.
Don’t know when every fender bender was a garda issue. But I guess overtime people got shafted with insurance issues, or false insurance disks/details from the aggressor.
People, I guess, want it official and on record. And especially these days with potential drugs/alcohol involved. What if the person causing the accident, however minor, had kids in the car – and were high on something (drugs or alochol) – and you would never know.
It’s not right. We need the Garda on the road – we need assistance out there.
There people who could intimidate others into not exchanging details to ‘get away with it’ – plenty of timid people could be bullied into not exchanging – or accepting paltry cash sums at the scene.
We really need the Garda out doing their job.
However, small or minor it may be. We need them.
If you ask me – it’s not less call outs we need – it’s more.
It’s more presence on the roads, it’s more cars/motorbikes on patrol.
More is needed – not less.
@Rafa C: 1. There is no testing done if there is no injuries
2. If you report that you think there is a criminal offence, no ins, drunk/drugs they will respond
3. Do you know how the gards find out if you have insurance??? They ring the insurance company!! A system where a call is made by those involved in minor traffic collisions to the purported ins company giving the details would be much easier .. if they take the details you know they are insured .. if they don’t you know they are not ….
4. If Those timid people call to a station on their way home they can report it
Those timid people just need to take a few photos or a video. If docs are not provided I’ll refer you back to point 2.
@Mc Comascaigh Paul: Yeh there are ways. But a lot will go unreported I fear.
@Rafa C: and if it’s unreported that’s the issue of the person not responding really. It’s not a babysitting service.
@Sean Partidge: There are vulnerable people, have some compassion.
It’s not a babysitting service, but people shouldn’t be made to feel fear or intimidation. If you call the Garda they should respond. Regardless.
@Rafa C: there are vulnerable people that require Garda assistance but can’t get it cause they are tied up at minor road traffic collisions.
Opening the door for fraudulent insurance claims.
Stupid question.
How can I as a citizen verify that the oposite party had a valid insurrance and driving licence, if there are no guards?
@Anonymous User: “Why don’t you believe me? You are RACIST!”
@Anonymous User: thats for your insurance company to do. you swap details and if one side is admits liability and damage is light go get a quote for them and if that doesnt suit then inform their insirance company of accident and give them the details of their insured and any photos etc
@Rian Lynch: Don’t get me started on how easy (and cheap) it is to buy a fake driver license, reg plate, tax, etc….
@Anonymous User: true. but lets be honest a car like that isnt hanging around to exchange details at an accident anyway
The crash for cash scammers going to have a field day!
So the idea is if they don’t do their job it will cost less
Confused as they stopped calling to minor crashes locally ten years back. Thought it was a country wide thing
The size of the buttocks on the guard on the left in the above picture sums up the state of policing in this country better than any text in the article possibly could.
@Gavin Harrison: post a pic of your buttocks, you must be perfect. You know they are people who can also read media articles and comments. The arrogance.
I thought they were already reducing calls by hanging up on domestic abuse calls made to them which was only report not long ago…
So people will just claim the accident is a major one to get the Garda to show up, along with a fire brigade and ambulance, will waste more time.
The Guards are too busy baby sitting far right protests. A significant amount of resources are used.
@Anonymous User: Report all the details to the local garda station – and to your insurance company – they will look for all info including the other drivers details and insurance details.
Once you’ve reported it to the Garda and the Insurance company you can get direction form them on how to proceed.
They will look after any other irregularities.
In the UK they have a pop up gate that covers a crash and stops rubbernecks, works a charm
Can you people not just police yourselves
That read was one hell of a belly laugh!
I have an idea, Maybe form a sort of ‘Transport Gardai branch’ ?
Or a completely sperate body to deal with policing Transport such as roads, busses, fecking Trains.
Almost like people have been asking for a form of transport police for a few years now and nothing being done other then the Gards not looking into more minor transport incidents.
this is bad. driver ran over my bike totaling it. my own bike insurance paid for the damage but i would have never recovered anything from the driver if there wasn’t a garda car passing by at the time. turns out driver had no tax and maybe no insurance as well (not sure but he could not proof it to Garda at the time). without their help this would have been a total loss because insurance requested pulse incident number for the claim. personally i cannot support this.
I haven’t seen a Garda since Biden visited. Not joking or exaggerating.
How about legalising, regulating, and taxing drugs for recreational use, and using the tax windfalls and reduced need for Gardai to waste their time busting people for pot, to INCREASE availability for handling minor traffic accidents. (and also using some of the tax money for addiction treatment, etc… which is working great everywhere it has been implemented)
have your say