Ombudsman to deal with 4,000 complaints

THE Garda Ombudsman Commission, which will officially start operating next Wednesday, is expected to deal with an estimated 4,000 complaints annually against members of the garda force.

The head of the commission, Judge Kevin Haugh, told the Garda Representative Association’s (GRA) annual conference in Westport, Co Mayo, yesterday that he was basing this figure on a similar system in Britain. Complaints have been handled by the Garda Complaints Board, which deals with up to 1,200 cases a year — most of which prove to be unfounded.

Judge Haugh said he similarly expected his team of 25 investigators, drawn mainly from foreign police forces, would find many complaints were unlikely to trigger a full investigation and that a number would probably be solved through mediation.