Garda scandal musn’t jeopardise positive work within society

WITH 15,000 wrongful summonses and over 937,000 breath tests falsely recorded on the PULSE system, it’s little wonder An Garda Síochána – and Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan – are again in the firing line. The fall- out from the McCabe scandal had barely time to settle when this latest slight against the force sparked even more soul- searching. The litany of mistakes is now wearing thin with the general public who are right to demand a functioning and ‘ scandal- free’ police force within their communities. The latest findings are simply unacceptable and must be dealt with in a professional and transparent manner.

Calls for Commissioner O’Sullivan’s resignation have been swift within political circles as many line up to question her ability to oversee the kind of hard- core reform needed. Worryingly, the commissioner said the prospect of more bad practice within the force was inevitable.

While Ms O’Sullivan says the latest issue is part of a wider debate concerning ethics and trust, many questions about the latest revelations remain unanswered, such as how were inaccurate breath testing figures allowed to go undetected for so long?

Ms O’Sullivan has as yet to show signs that she’s capable of dealing efficiently and ruthlessly with the scandals currently on her desk. At the end of the day, it’s all about supervision and for those of us on the outside, there’s little real evidence of this happening.

But while the public’s anger is understandable, we must resist the urge to denigrate the entire force. There’s always a danger when public anger swells that many positive aspects get sidelined. This must be consciously avoided and the red mist of anger must not be allowed to overshadow the good work An Garda Síochána do in the fight against crime in what are arguably more challenging times.

Gardaí now face newer and more ruthless kinds of crime – many with overseas links that make policing significantly more difficult. Assaults against gardaí have also risen, which is suggestive of a growing disregard for those entrusted with upholding law and order.

Seeking reform and redemption within An Garda Síochána must be part of a parallel process of respect and appreciation for the difficult job the gardaí do in 21st Century Ireland. Yes, we must demand appropriate action to redress the latest scandals but we must also avoid tarring everyone with the same brush.

Nowadays, social media allows for a broad debate on issues such as garda reform and, while this is welcome, it can create a vacuum in terms of respect for authority if the message is not properly absorbed.

This has consequences for the way in which the force is viewed publically, not just by criminals, but by young people who might think it okay to disregard the work and authority of An Garda Síochána.

This is the kind of backlash we must avoid in our quest for reform.