GARDAI: WATER IS WASTING FAR TOO MUCH OF OUR TIME
‘Softly, softly’ approach as top brass say: We must target real criminals
GARDAÍ have been told to take a ‘ softly softly’ approach to t he water protesters. The move comes as members of the force become increasingly frustrated that they are spending too much time dealing with the campaigners instead of cracking down on crime.
One senior security source said: ‘We’re becoming the water police. This is taking up far too much of our time.’
However, this does not mean that gardaí will not be on hand to curtail potential attacks and safeguard Irish Water workers.
But from now on, in most cases, they will simply take the names and addresses of protesters and send summonses in the post, instead of making arrests on the spot. This means fewer gardaí will be needed at potential hot spots.
The new guidelines have been brought in initially for Dublin-based gardaí and will apply to stations across the capital but
will then be used nationwide. A source said the force would take a ‘lenient and tolerant’ approach and that gardaí around the country would be given similar guidelines. They might differ ‘slightly’ but will be ‘fundamentally in the same vein’ said the insider.
Under Section 25 of the Water Services Act, gardaí have the powers to arrest, on the spot, any person who is obstructing a water meter installation.
But the new guidelines recommend that officers should not do so. Instead, the protesters are to be given a warning that if they do not desist, they will be arrested.
If the person continues to obstruct the installer, gardaí will then arrest them. However, in many instances, if the protester has their passport or driving licence identification on them, officers will simply take down their name and address.
The person will later receive a summons in the post.
If they do not have ID, they will be taken to the nearest Garda station, processed and released and will later receive a summons.
However many of the protesters return to the scene of their arrest following release and again obstruct the installation. In these cases, they will be re-arrested and charged.
Gardaí in Dublin have asked Irish Water if it can deal with the ‘processing’ of the hundreds of names and addresses provided to them after their arrest.
Under the Water Services Act, Irish Water has the power to send files to the DPP and later issue summonses i f charges are directed. Senior sources say it would ‘free up Garda time enormously’ if Irish Water were to deal with this matter.
At present, gardaí, particularly across Dublin where most of the protests have been held, are preparing hundreds of files for the DPP.
‘It’s similar to how An Post, not gardaí, deal with non-payment of TV licences. Irish Water have powers here. Obviously serious and violent cases of protesters will be handled by gardaí but the vast majority are not,’ a source explained.
Irish Water told the Irish Daily Mail that it ‘does not comment on the specifics of any matter which may be (or become) the subject of legal pro- ceedings’. Security sources told the Mail that Irish Water has not agreed to deal with the hundreds of cases the gardaí asked them to handle.
The new Dublin city guidelines also state that gardaí should be ‘diplomatic’ and ‘tolerant’ when dealing with protesters. They say that many protesters record gardaí and post videos on social media.
The source added: ‘Essentially, we are taking a softly softly approach with the protesters. We could arrest them on the spot for obstruction but gardaí are now opting to give them a warning instead.
‘Many gardaí privately agree with their beliefs over the water charges. But it is our duty to uphold the law and we will do so. These protesters are highly organised. These guidelines are in reaction to their organisation and will ensure gardaí are all on the same page.’
In Dublin city, all officers have been sent a hard copy as well as an electronic copy of the guidelines.
Two weeks ago, a ‘Grassroots Gathering’ was held in Drimnagh and the subjects were: ‘How To Organise, Strategy and Tactics, Direct Action’ and ‘Dealing With
‘How An Post deals with TV licences’
NO sensible person would dispute that members of An Garda Síochána have better things to be doing than policing protests against Irish Water.
It is also a certainty that the vast majority of officers would agree that their time could be spent in a far more productive fashion. Yet given the unpleasant and occasionally sinister nature of the behaviour engaged in by some activists at these events, the bottom line is that a police presence is often required.
Against that backdrop, the new instructions issued to gardaí about the approach to take towards protesters seem slightly peculiar at the very least.
Though legislation clearly gives police officers the authority to carry out an onthe-spot arrest on anyone obstructing the installation of a water meter, the revised guidelines indicate that they should not do so.
Gardaí are instead being told to issue a verbal warning and only resort to an arrest when protesters continue to cause an obstruction.
And in cases where they are carrying official ID, such as a passport or driving licence, it seems that many of them won’t even be taken into custody. They will get court summonses in the post instead.
Much of the rationale involved appears to concern the lack of Garda resources. The laws setting up Irish Water give it sufficient powers to send files to the DPP in cases where it feels suspected offenders should be charged.
According to well placed sources quoted in today’s Mail, there is a feeling that such a situation would help free up precious Garda resources. But it is difficult to see how this would be the case.
Without wanting to spell out the obvious in block capitals, the bottom line is that there will always have to be a police presence in place whenever Irish Water employees face the threat of being obstructed as they go about the work they are paid to do.
And where protesters refuse to desist in their behaviour and fail to leave the scene when they are told to do so, it is only logical that they should be arrested and transported to the nearest police station for processing.
So it sounds very much like these new regulations can only amount to what will ultimately be a pointless exercise.
Like many other parts of the public sector, An Garda Síochána is trying to cope with fewer resources than was previously the case.
But it still has a duty to uphold law and order. Trying to outsource that fundamental responsibility is not the answer.