Garda Siochána rife with racism, says damning report

RACISM and ignorance of human rights are commonplace in the Garda Siochána, a highly critical report reveals.

It says a high level human rights advisory committee needs to be set up within the force and calls for race and diversity training to be provided as a matter of urgency for all staff, starting with senior officers.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said last night he was fully committed to the implementation of the recommendations and has appointed Assistant Commissioner Nacie Rice to oversee the project.

The report, compiled by Ionann Management Consultants, is based on the views of more than 1,400 rank-and-file gardaí, 17 senior officers (including Mr Conroy), and 25 community and voluntary groups.

Among their findings were that gardaí had poor relations with the Traveller community, asylum seekers, ethnic minorities (and particularly Nigerians), faith groups (and especially Muslims) and people from social housing. Members of the force also tended to make assumptions of higher levels of criminality among these groups and to feel attempts to counter this view amounted to political correctness or ethnic groups “playing the race card”.

The report states: “On the basis of this audit, it seems clear that there is institutional racism within An Garda Síochána in its dealing with certain groups in the community and in the absence of organisational structures which would identify and deal with what is a very fundamental abuse of human rights.”

It says the relationship between gardaí and ethnic communities is not helped by the garda’s role as immigration police which creates a distance and distrust.

It says Justice Minister Michael McDowell should consider whether a review of the garda’s immigration duties was necessary. It also recommends the routine recording of the ethnic origin of people who come into contact with the gardaí as both victims and offenders.

It said this would provide hard statistics to test the stereotypes and pinpoint where groups are disproportionately represented so the causes can be examined.

Concerns are also expressed in the report about the rights of crime suspects, detainees, prisoners and demonstrators. It says there is “continuing public concern about public order policing, excessive use of force and oppressive questioning during detention in the absence of lawyers.”