Commissioner Harris - A new broom

There was a reassuring air about the press conference given yesterday by the new Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

He was pragmatic and addressed issues like how the force uses resources in a way that they may not have been addressed heretofore.

He said he thought the force was well resourced but would defer final judgement until he fully assessed how those resources were used.

He cleared the air around suggestions that he might be compromised on national security. His insistence that

his record showed absolute objectivity was convincing.

Mr Harris’ emphasis on the social dimension of policing and his recognition that poorer communities suffer the consequences of crime disproportionatly may not have been novel but they seemed so.

He expressed optimism that the force is anxious for the kind of reforms that would restore it to its rightful place in society.

He will enjoy a honeymoon period when he will find it easy to win support. Maybe the best support he can get is a recognition that his is part of the solution rather than the problem.