Sir, – The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) fundamentally disagrees with your Editorial (February 15th).
It is news to us that the “intended function” of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is, as described by you: “to investigate potential acts of criminality and serious breaches of discipline”. In fact the GSOC website states: “The Garda Ombudsman is responsible for receiving and dealing with all complaints made by members of the public concerning the conduct of members of the Garda Síochána”. I draw your attention to the word “all”. That statement and that word have the full support of AGSI.
In the years prior to the establishment of GSOC a frequent media criticism of the Garda Complaints Board and its systems was that they amounted to “guards investigating guards”. If the GSOC attempts to offload what it describes as “minor” complaints back on to the Garda Síochána succeeds, it is inevitable that those criticisms will resurface. In AGSI we do not want that; we want an independent and objective outside organisation to investigate all complaints against gardaí; and GSOC, as presently constituted, fills that description.
It is only if the independence and the objectivity of the complaints system is transparent and credible that the respect of the public will be maintained. It would be tragic if a dilution of this objectivity was allowed to happen.
Your Editorial refers to GSOC “scarce resources”. In the Garda Síochána at present there are unfilled vacancies for 180 sergeants and 20 inspectors and the force itself is declining from a high of 14,500 towards a target figure of 13,000 – thus bringing us back to a position where we will have again one of the worst police to public ratios in the developed world.
The pressures on sergeants and inspectors to maintain a service to the public; to monitor and mentor their units and to fill the gaps left by their departing colleagues are enormous. They do not need the added burden of investigating complaints that are quite rightly in the remit of GSOC and should remain there. – Yours, etc,