Time has long passed for Commissioner Harris to depart scene
THAT the events of Thursday night in Dublin City Centre should see the end of Commissioner Drew Harris’s Garda career is beyond logical argument. However, his current situation should not be viewed in isolation. The reality is that he has been presiding over a dysfunctional force for a number of years. He has reshaped the proud service in his own stern image and lost the support of his rank and file gardaí.
This came to a head with the unnecessary fight over rosters, which led to the unprecedented vote by the Garda Representative Association that saw just under 99% vote no confidence in their boss.
His subsequent failure to adequately police the return of the Dáil from summer recess in September was only two months ago. This shows just how quickly things have deteriorated on the issue of far-right extremism.
But this problem was wellflagged. In May of this year, members of the public were allowed to obstruct a road in Co. Clare near a reception centre for international protection applicants, and effectively take over the policing of a part of the State. A mob was allowed to stop a bus and have a man go on board to count the number of refugees onboard. At that time, this paper pointed out the need to enforce the law of the land, or risk contagion.
The commissioner has reaped what he sowed. Mr Harris’s failings have not just been in the realm of maintaining basic law and order. The Irish Mail on Sunday recently reported that An Garda Síochána and GSOC, nine months ahead of the shocking murder of Detective Colm Horkan with his own gun, were told that standard issue holsters were not fit for purpose. Three months after Garda Horkan’s tragic death, new holsters that prevented anyone but the wearer from removing the gun were finally issued.
When the MoS questioned Commissioner Harris, he seemed oblivious to the fact that the safety of all Garda officers was within his remit, and comforted himself with the fallacy that because the issue had not come across his desk, he was not responsible. It was with some surprise too we heard him, since Thursday’s riots, tell his officers that they could use their ‘coercive powers’ to protect society and themselves.
Surely that has always been the case, and the fact that it had to be restated reveals the implicit insight that, under his leadership, members of the force may have felt that he was not always on their side.
This newspaper has previously reported the opinion of senior Garda management that Mr Harris’s fondness for disciplinary procedures has led members of all ranks to hesitate from using the key weapon in any good police officer’s arsenal: old fashioned initiative.
Today we report a frontline Garda completely contradicts the Commissioner’s ludicrous absurdity, that what happened on Thursday was unprecedented, and could not have been anticipated.
The time has long passed for Mr Harris to depart the scene, with the polite thanks of a weary nation.
Crucially, the chain of responsibility does not end there. Mr Harris is accountable to the Justice Minister, who has not covered herself in glory over the past six months.
A Dáil motion of no-confidence seems to be waiting in the wings for Minister Helen McEntee, and this Government will have to very carefully weigh up the potential damage that would result from voting confidence in a politician who has let too many facile victories be won by the thugs who take to the streets to display, in all their ignorance, the worst traits of human nature.
She needs to examine her conscience, and be realistic about the tenability of her position.
In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers go to the victims of the attack at Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire who, for now, should be our main concern after the violence that unfolded on the streets of our capital this week.