Policing Authority’s treatment of analysts criticised

The Garda oversight body has come in for unprecedented criticism by the Oireachtas justice committee for the manner in which it treated two civilian analysts who contacted it regarding concerns about Garda homicide figures.

Over a three-and-a-half-hour meeting, the head of the Policing Authority, Josephine Feehily, was put under intense pressure for its dealings with the deputy head of the Garda Analysis Service, Lois West, and senior analyst Laura Galligan.

Committee members told Ms Feehily that when the analysts appeared before the committee a fortnight ago, they said they felt “let down” and “undermined” by the authority in, firstly, not responding appropriately to their concerns and, secondly, they “told tales” by informing Garda management they had contacted the authority.