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.

He also said the commission wouldn’t entertain anonymous complaints and he would take a hard line on people knowingly making false allegations.

“If we find a person makes a complaint of a malicious nature we would not hesitate to send a file to the DPP.”

He said action would be taken against off-duty gardaí if allegations against them were proved and they were deemed to have brought the force into disrepute.

Meanwhile, Bob Olsen, a senior member of the Garda Inspectorate, said he wanted the force to get an equipment refit in line with modern technology.

He said he would be recommending all gardaí have access to handheld laptops, or computers in their patrol cars, which they could use to receive almost instantaneous information on suspects.

In addition, he said, gardaí should have digital cameras to take pictures of people and these could be sent to a central database with information being rapidly returned on the suspect’s criminal record, etc.

Mr Olsen also said he wanted to see more continuous training being undertaken, and not necessarily at the Garda College in Templemore. He said training could be provided to stations through video links.

He added that the inspectorate would be looking to see what could be done about upgrading a number of the country’s 700-plus garda stations, possibly through accessing some private sector funding.

In response to GRA calls for the OPW to be removed from all garda station building and refurbishment, Mr Olsen said that such work might be “devolved”, whereby chief superintendents could become responsible for such projects in their own regions.