O'Keeffe: Garda reserve plans disastrous

Granting a Garda reserve force powers of arrest with only minimal training is a recipe for disaster, it was warned today.

Jim O’Keeffe, a Fine Gael TD, claimed Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was attempting to artificially boost the numbers of gardaí through the reserve force.

“The plans for a reserve force as unveiled by the minister could create a poorly-trained state force with almost the same powers as a regular garda.

“He wants to give the reserve force the power to arrest people, after only 24-hours worth of training.

"Full-time student gardaí have to undergo extensive college and on-the-job training before they get the same power,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

The party’s justice spokesman warned the combination of minimal training with maximum powers could be dangerous.

Mr O’Keeffe said he would fully support the creation of a Garda reserve force designed to take over routine office duties and patrol under the direction of full-time gardaí.

He added: “This would free up other full-time members for frontline duties. If this was what the minister was proposing he would have my total support.”

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has already claimed the scheme would lead to endless trouble for the force, while the Garda Representative Association said it would result in an amateurisation of the police service.

The AGSI has branded it a Mad Hatter’s scheme, adding it would appear the voluntary Garda force would be provided with only 24 hours of training in basic law and procedures, before being deployed on road traffic and public order duties among others.

The association said full-time recruits were only given full policing powers after completing 55 weeks of intensive training. This also included on-the-job experience.

Mr McDowell has said the reserve would be there to supplement the work of gardaí and denied it was a substitute for extra recruitment of officers.

Mr O’Keeffe claimed the minister was likely to attempt to use the Garda reserve force to hide the fact he had missed the deadline for recruiting 2,000 extra gardaí.

The establishment of a voluntary reserve force was provided for in the Garda Síochána Bill. In December, Mr McDowell said a voluntary Garda reserve force should be established, with the aim of having 900 members in place by September 2006.

It is believed plans for the reserve force, who will retain the power of arrest but will be unpaid for their services, include manning Garda checkpoints, patrolling residential areas and attending public-order incidents.

Training for the reserves will be carried out over 24 hours, with two hours of instruction over 12 weekends.