Tag Archives: An Garda Síochána

Garda whistleblower, Former Sgt Maurice McCabe and wife Lorraine McCabe at Dublin Castle last summer during the Disclosures Tribunal.

This afternoon.

Whistleblower Maurice McCabe, who left An Garda Síochána last year, has reportedly agreed a settlement for an undisclosed sum in his legal action against the force and Tusla.

Michael Clifford, of the Irish Examiner, reports:

The settlement came after weeks of negotiations between the legal teams for Mr McCabe and the Sate agencies over the 11 separate actions brought by the former garda sergeant and his family.

The actions were based on how Mr McCabe was dealt with in the aftermath of making complaints of malpractice in the force in 2008.

Maurice McCabe settles legal action against Garda Commissioner and Tusla for undisclosed sum (Breakingnews.ie)

Previously: Maurice McCabe on Broadsheet

Disclosures Tribunal on Broadsheet

Rollingnews

An Garda Síochána released a statement yesterday stating 36 people were stopped and spoken to by gardai “arising from suspicion of having purchased sexual services from an individual involved in prostitution” over the course of the weekend.

It stated:

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 criminalises the purchase of sexual services and the soliciting or purchasing of sex from a trafficked person.

On the 26th, 27th and 28th of April 2019, An Garda Síochána conducted intelligence-led operations across six of its divisions, nationally, urban and rural (DMR North, DMR East, DMR South Central, Wexford, Louth and Kildare) to target the demand for prostitution and to enforce legislation which criminalises the purchase of sexual services.

These Days of Action were coordinated by the ‘Operation Quest’ team at the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, in liaison with local Detective Units.

During the course of this intelligence-led operation, thirty-six individuals where stopped and spoken to by members of An Garda Síochána, arising from suspicion of having purchased sexual services from an individual involved in prostitution.

A number of files will now be prepared for forwarding to the Director of Public Prosecutions, with a view to establishing if any criminal prosecution should be initiated, arising from the Days of Action.

This operation reinforces An Garda Síochána’s commitment to target the demand for prostitution and to protect vulnerable persons, including victims of human trafficking involved in prostitution.

In response, the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland has noted the following…

The Meet Your Maker podcast.

On gamers with hattitude.

Host Liam Geraghty writes:

Twice a week, people from all over Ireland role play online as Gardaí….We meet the members of Irish Emergency Services RPC – a GTA V role playing community based off of An Garda Siochana and Ireland’s Emergency Services, focusing on Cork. You can listen to Meet Your Maker on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Meet Your Maker

From top: Garda HQ in Phoenix Park; Paul Williams and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

“What we know so far is that the specially adapted Range Rover, belonging to the PSNI’s close protection team, was delivering Drew Harris to the Phoenix Park following a visit to the North on Monday, 25 March.The Northern vehicle was driving in convoy behind an ERU vehicle that met the escort at the Border.

After the ERU vehicle drove in, the quick-thinking garda on sentinel duty was alarmed.

After all, she had spotted an unknown Northern-registered car driving towards the gates and immediately moved to activate the security bollard which is designed to prevent a suspect vehicle entering the complex.

…Drew Harris is still very much settling into his role as commissioner and his relationship with many of his top management staff is described as purely professional.

But despite any initial embarrassment about the actual incident, Mr Harris should in fact be congratulating the garda on the gate for her quick, clear-headed reaction to an alarming situation.”

Paul Williams, Irish Independent this morning

However…

“There was no security incident at Garda HQ on 25 March 2019. A newly installed bollard malfunctioned and caught the underside of the vehicle the Commissioner was travelling in. This happened at a walking pace. No vehicles were flipped.

The malfunction was quickly fixed and vehicular traffic went in and out of Garda HQ as normal that day. As per our previous statement, normal movement procedures were followed in relation to the Commissioner.”

Garda Press Office statement this afternoon.

Someone’s flipping fibbing.

YOU must decide.

Yesterday: What The Flip Is Going On?

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris arriving at Leinster House  to attend a Justice Commitee hearing last September

Following reports that Garda Commissioner Drew Harris’s unmarked 4×4 with heavily armed PSNI detectives on board was flung into the air at the gates of Garda HQ in Phoenix Park after a Garda on  duty activated a security bollard…

“Gardai and the Irish Defence Forces are the only service permitted to carry fire arms in the republic. That’s where the law is.

There are exceptions in some cases. Regrettably Drew Harris could be a target because of his former membership of the PSNI/RUC and his connections to the British security forces. Every care has to be taken with his protection. Measures for his security must be taken in a legal and proportional and appropriate way.

It is not standard operating procedure that an armed PSNI escort would travel to Garda headquarters to protect the Commissioner of An Garda Siochana. The officers concerned have no authority to carry firearms.”

Retired Detective Chief Superintendent John O’Brien on RTÉ Radio One dismissing the Garda’s explanation that a PSNI jeep with armed police bringing the Commissioner into the Republic was “normal procedure”.

‘Not normal procedure’ for PSNI officers to carry guns into Republic of Ireland, former top cop says after Garda HQ crash (irish Mirror)

PSNI escort for Harris to Dublin ‘most unusual’ decision (Irish Times)

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Members of ‘Fingal Battalion Direct Action’ stage a small protest outside the County Wicklow home of Minister for Health Simon Harris before being peacefully moved on by two members of An Garda Síochána.

Polite, respectful and good humoured.

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

TRAPPED?

New-born BABY!

Did they miss MASS?

Film at 11.

Fingal Direct Action (Facebook)

Thanks Vanessa

Yesterday.

On Twitter.

Requests were made by gardaí, via their Twitter account, for the videos above to be removed from Twitter.

The videos contain footage taken by cyclists.

The requests prompted some on Twitter to ask the gardai what law was being broken by the posters…

Anyone?

Gardaí fears over dangerous driving videos ‘have no basis’ (Catherine Sanz, The Times Ireland edition)

 Assistant Garda Commissioner  Pat Leahy (left) and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris facing questioning from the Police Authority today after  Mr Harris apologised in public, for the Garda Youth Diversion Programme

This afternoon.

Three quarters of the crimes not properly investigated relate to public order, theft, traffic and criminal damage, but also included are 55 serious crimes, including the rape of a woman, another serious sexual offence and a case of child neglect.

The figures have been published today in a garda report, which reviewed the Youth Referrals Scheme from 2010 to 2017.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris issued a public apology when he appeared before the Policing Authority this afternoon.

Garda report shows 3,500 juveniles not prosecuted for crimes (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Kevin Street Garda Station, Dublin

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan launching  ‘Policing Service for the Future’, a “four-year high-level implementation plan” which includes a new oversight body do away with the Policing Authority and the Garda Inspectorate.

Earlier: ‘A New Strategic Threat Analysis Centre’

Meanwhile…

Stop that.

Rollingnews