A first step - Commissioner rings the changes

THE scale of change — reform — announced by Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan yesterday afternoon is unprecedented in the history of the force. It is welcome and overdue and will, hopefully, make a significant contribution towards rebuilding the organisation’s essential credibility.

The changes come on foot of a highly critical report by the Garda Inspectorate last November, a report that uncovered serious cultural and professional issues. This report found that crime was under-recorded and sometimes reclassified as less serious offences. It also concluded that many victims were not taken seriously or properly informed about their case. Coming on the heels of the penalty points fiasco and the resignation of former Commissioner Martin Callinan, an initiative on this scale was required.

The changes announced yesterday are primarily structural and are as much about managing scarce resources as they are about remaking the force. Changing the culture in an organisation grown used to a certain autonomy and independence will be a far greater challenge.