Former PSNI colleague of Garda chief is member of State’s Policing Authority
GARDA Commissioner Drew Harris knows one of the Policing Authority members very well – because he replaced her in her former job at the PSNI.
Judith Gillespie was former deputy chief constable until she retired in 2014, which is when Mr Harris took up that role. She was also tipped as a contender for the position of garda commissioner before she ruled herself out in 2017.
This personal connection is one way observers are speculating that the new Garda Commissioner will be better able to co-exist with the Policing Authority.
Another is the more than decade-long experience with the oversight of a policing authority north of the border.
A source told the MoS: ‘Drew Harris would know Judith Gillespie very well. They have a good working relationship already established. That can only be a good thing.’
Another source pointed to Commissioner Harris’ experience with the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
‘He’s coming from more than a decade of policing alongside the equivalent of the Policing Authority. The fear factor of being accountable or explaining things simply is not there.
‘I would say it will be a better relationship,’ the source said.
The relationship between the Commissioner and the oversight body got off to an apparently good start this week.
Mr Harris responded to criticism of the use of fireretardant hoods by gardaí while policing an eviction soon after he spoke with the chairperson of the Policing Authority, Josephine Feehily.
Mr Harris defended the actions of the gardaí, but said they should not have been wearing hoods without also using protective helmets.
He said he has also requested a report from the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Dublin to see what lessons can be learned.
Ms Feehily said she was pleased he had issued a statement.