The number of gardaí based in stations decreased by over 300 last year as the size of the force fell to its lowest level in a decade. Department of Justice figures obtained by the Irish Examiner show the number of gardaí working in the 563 Garda stations at the end of 2014 stood at 10,976 — down 307 compared to a year earlier, representing an annual decrease of 2.7%. It is the first time the figure has dipped below 11,000 since 2006.