The Irish Times view on the garda and the bicycle: questionable case must not be used to block reform

The investigation of a Garda detective for the alleged theft of a bicycle from a Garda station has brought into focus a battle inside the force. On the one side is Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, trying to reform Irish policing. On the other is the Garda Representative Association (GRA), fighting for the rights of its members, about 11,000 rank and file gardaí.

The GRA’s interpretation of the case is simple. A Garda detective in the midlands performed an act of kindness for a retired local farmer in loaning him a bike so he could stay active during lockdown in 2020. For his troubles he was accused of theft and suspended for three years while he was being investigated, before finally being exonerated. As the GRA sees it, the garda’s suspension – followed by restricted duties for another eight months – after loaning an elderly man a bicycle is confirmation that the Garda has lost its way under Harris. In the eyes of the commissioner, the property of the State was taken by a serving garda, without permission. That was a serious issue which required investigation.

There are puzzling aspects to the case. The use of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda’s serious crimes squad, to conduct the investigation into the alleged theft, seems heavy-handed. The length of time the criminal and disciplinary investigations took, at almost four years, appears excessive, especially since the detective was suspended for most of that time. It would be helpful if more information on those concerns could be shared by Garda Headquarters.

However, Harris has said the bike was the property of the State. It was taken by the detective without permission and was a registered item in the Garda’s Property & Exhibits Management System (PEMS). This is used to secure and track items seized or found by the Garda, including firearms and drugs. Harris has said that while there are lessons for the Garda to be learned from the case, the integrity of PEMS was at stake.

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Despite its troubling features, it is imperative that this case is not employed to undermine necessary reforms. The breakdown in discipline in the Garda, and the many scandals which arose within the force in the decade before Harris was appointed commissioner in 2018, go to show how necessary these reforms remain.

In recent years the courts have dealt with a number of cases in which current or former Garda members have been accused, and convicted, of serious crimes. There remains work to be done in ensuring other perpetrators are removed from their positions. However, both Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee have acknowledged the need for a new system of investigating gardaí accused of wrongdoing which is faster and more efficient.