Seattle police chief to lead Garda review

The Government has appointed a former head of the Garda inspectorate to lead the imminent root and branch review of the force, despite her being embroiled in a multi-million euro overtime and management US court case last year.

Kathleen O’Toole, who was confirmed as the chair of the commission on the future of policing in Ireland by cabinet yesterday, was at the centre of a $3m (€2.7m) lawsuit by junior officers in Seattle in summer 2016.

Ms O’Toole is a highly respected policing official who led the Garda inspectorate between 2006 and 2012, was a member of the Patten commission review of policing in Northern Ireland, and has been chief of police in Seattle since 2014.