‘I never wanted to leave the Gardaí, but in the end I was given no choice’
AS the number of serving gardaí falls to its lowest level in five years, despite promises to bolster the force, one decorated officer writes about how he was forced to quit the job he loved, after becoming ‘financially broken’ from injuries sustained in the line of duty.
INEVER wanted to leave An Garda Síochána, but in the end I was given no choice. I loved being a garda, and spent years as a plainclothes officer in the busy Crumlin district of Dublin. I was a very active garda and always got a buzz from the work I did; I worked the streets and brought members of the Kinahan crime gang to court.
My job – and my life – changed after I broke my ankle while on duty, and I soon began to feel the financial repercussions.
I was off the job for a few months while I recovered, and although I was still paid, the loss of overtime had a big impact.
Two years later, in December 2021, I broke my hand while arresting a convicted sex offender who had also been involved in aggravated burglaries.
He later said to me: ‘I hope it’s f***ing mangled’ – this was subsequently read out in court.
Both of the injuries happened after car chases, with both of the culprits’ cars crashing and the criminals trying to do a runner.
I am married and a father, and because of the financial impact as a result of my injuries, I had no choice but to move home to the west of Ireland because I could no longer afford the sky-high rents in Dublin. When I returned to fulltime duty I was skint and had to commute to Crumlin. Some nights I had to sleep in my car near the station. I put in for a transfer. Initially I was told I had ‘a strong case’, but there were no new gardaí starting work at the station and the transfer never materialised.
So I was forced to resign from the job I loved, as I just couldn’t keep going the way I was.
I reflected this in my resignation letter; letting my superiors know I did not want to leave the force, but that circumstances caused by my injuries in the line of duty had left me with no option.
I met with chiefs [Chief Superintendents] and supers [Superintendents] and my sergeant to see if there was anything they could do.
I was really hoping someone in management would ask me to stay, but I didn’t even get an acknowledgement that my resignation letter had been received.
Later, after I had left the force, I got an email asking me to reconsider, but by then it was too late.
I formally resigned from the force last October.
At home, I got another job and gradually my financial situation improved, but in my heart I missed being a garda.
In January this year, I decided to reapply to the force.
I sent in my application, and this week I received an email from the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, telling me the request had been refused.
In his letter, the Commissioner said he had ‘considered everything’, my circumstances and references from my local line management, and he was refusing the application.
I can’t appeal this decision and I’ve been told I cannot even get an explanation either, as to why my application was denied.
Throughout my career as a garda, I have never once been disciplined and had an unblemished record.
If I want to rejoin the force, I was told I will have to go back to Templemore Training College and restart training in something for which I am already qualified, and received first-class honours in.
I am personally upset about the decision, but given the huge recruitment problems in the force – and the record number of resignations this year – it’s more maddening than anything.
I worked the streets and brought the Kinahan gang to court