Garda chief ’s anger at traffic officers’ failure to pull weight
AN internal Garda memo has revealed frustration from management at some new Traffic Corps recruits not pulling their weight and not issuing enough fines.
In the memo, an assistant commissioner bemoans that two new recruits didn’t issue a single serious traffic fine in two months – and said the worst offenders would be removed from the Traffic Corps if they didn’t improve.
The message was issued by Assistant Commissioner of Roads Policing David Sheahan to the Chief Superintendent of Dublin Roads Policing, Aidan Reid, It names several new gardaí and says that, over 60 days, they averaged just 38 detections each of ‘lifesaver offences’, such as using a mobile phone, speeding or driving without a seatbelt.
This was ‘below the standard that should be expected’, Assistant Commissioner Sheahan wrote. A senior security source told the Irish Daily Mail the memo was a ‘wake-up call’ to members in all divisions.
‘Performance is constantly being reviewed now on an ongoing basis and, in particular with the arrival of the new Garda Commissioner [Drew Harris] in the coming weeks, departments are on high alert to be seen to be pulling up people who are underperforming,’ the source said.
‘In the wake of recent controversies, it’s about restoring public trust in the force, and a big part of that is senior management calling out people who are seen to not be performing.’
Assistant Commissioner Sheahan conducted a review of 87 new traffic officers, who were placed on road policing units on May 1 of this year.
He noted that one garda, who is named in the memo, had made a ‘positive contribution’ to the detection of lifesaver offences. This officer issued 122 fixedcharge notices over a two-month period – four times as many as some of the other new recruits.
However, two new road traffic gardaí made absolutely no contribution to detecting lifesaver offences, he noted. Assistant Commissioner Sheahan warned that regional commanders and divisional officers ‘need to address the lack of contribution from a significant cohort of roads policing personnel’ and that members should be ‘under no illusion that such contribution will lead to their removal from the roads policing unit’.
A spokesman for the force said it is not the ‘policy’ of An Garda Síochána to comment on internal correspondence.
They also said: ‘While it is the role of all gardaí to enforce road traffic legislation, it is the primary role of members assigned to roads policing to enforce this legislation.’ The spokesperson added: ‘Garda management across all units in the organisation constantly review, assess and manage resources to ensure policing plans are executed with maximum efficiency and will liaise with the various members to ensure the highest standards are achieved and surpassed where possible.’
The over-achieving garda with 122 serious fines in two months is based in Dundrum station.
Of the two worst performing, one is based in south Co. Dublin and the other is in the north of Dublin city.
‘Wake-up call’ to all members