Senior gardaí back reserve force plan

Senior gardaí today openly backed plans for a reserve force.

Publicly announcing support for the Minister for Justice’s proposals for the first time, the Association of Garda Superintendents said the move would put more visible presence on the streets.

President of the AGS, Superintendent Noel McLoughlin, said the scheme, which is widely opposed by rank-and-file members of the force, would enhance their capacity to respond to emergency calls.

The primary role of the reserves, he said, would be in community policing, improving relations between gardaí and society and deterring crime on the streets.

“It will assist the Garda Síochána, particularly with visible presence,” he said at the group’s annual conference in Dublin today. “This is what the public are looking for, a greater physical presence on the street.

“What the public want is bodies on the ground. What the public want is boots on the ground.”

The recruitment process for the first 900 of 4,000 reservists will begin within months, with Minister for Justice Michael McDowell warning gardaí the general public may turn on them if the reserves are not welcomed.

Despite ongoing intensive discussions, the Garda Representative Association and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors remain totally opposed to the scheme in principal.

Calling for extra funding to be ploughed in to An Garda Síochána, the association called for improved training, better facilities for detainees and improved equipment of officers.

Regulations for the reserves, which are currently being drafted, will shortly be brought before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights, which Mr McDowell said has given its overwhelming backing.

The proposals have also been continuously supported by the Garda Commissioner.

Sinn Féin justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD today reiterated his call for the minister to abandon the plans, claiming it poses significant human rights concerns.

“The Association of Garda Superintendents’ support for McDowell’s volunteer reserve force is unfortunate,” he said. “Sinn Féin is opposed to the introduction of such a force. We believe it is an unsatisfactory substitute for proper community policing and it would not be adequately trained.

“This proposal would not be fair on communities who deserve policing of the highest standard, from a fully trained and professional service. It is not the way to create greater community confidence in the gardaí. It is not an acceptable substitute for proper resourcing of community policing.”