Recent events in the criminal justice area reflect the rapidly changing landscape for An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice. Gardaí last week carried out dozens of searches as part of an international inquiry after organised crime gangs, including in Ireland, were caught using a privately run app, ‘Ghost’. Via the app, operated from Sydney, criminals internationally planned major drug trafficking, murders and other crimes.
Meanwhile, RTÉ Investigates last week broadcast footage of the racist vitriol, assaults, and petrol bombings, directed by the far right towards staff, and gardaí, at a centre earmarked for international protection applicants in Coolock, Dublin.
Virtually every week brings evidence of how crime is changing. Reports of domestic and sexual violence have increased, perhaps as victims are increasingly willing to come forward and more are met with an appropriate Garda response. The drugs trade continues unabated, with a new Dublin-based gang having displaced the Kinahan cartel as the biggest drugs traffickers in the Republic. Meanwhile, new highly potent drugs, such as synthetic opioids, are finding their way onto the streets, causing significant concern for the Garda and health authorities.
These challenges are complex and require a diversity of skills and resources in An Garda Síochána. Addressing them is also very time consuming, underlining the need for a large Garda force, mainly of sworn officers but also backed by civilian staff with very specialised skills.
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Worryingly, as policing challenges change and become more pressing and complex, Garda recruitment appears to be stuck. Recently the latest class of new gardaí passed out from the Garda college in Templemore. The fact that the class numbered 108 – rather than a total much closer to 200 which might indicate a rebuilding of numbers – is a concern. Intakes into the college are smaller than they were before the pandemic.
Some successful applicants are now opting for other, probably more lucrative, jobs in the buoyant economy. Other candidates who have applied, and been successful, are still waiting for the results of background checks almost two years after beginning their application process. All the while, even with the boost of the latest class, the strength of the Garda at present is 14,146. That is more than 600 lower than four years ago.
The Government’s plan to increase numbers to 15,000 in the short term and then build them to 18,000 looks unlikely to be achieved on current trends. Given the pressures the force is under, more complex policing demands and a growing population, sluggish recruitment needs to be addressed. The Government, which talks tough on crime at every opportunity, and Garda leadership need to find ways of resetting their efforts