Frank Glacken joined the Garda Siochana in 1960 and served in a number of locations before he became the first head of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation when it was set up in April 1995. He is due to retire next year.
A native of Crossmolina, Co Mayo, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant within eight years of joining the force. In 1978 he became an inspector and in 1984 was promoted to superintendent. By 1991 he was a chief superintendent.
Aged 59 years he is married with a family. Chief Supt Glacken has served in a number of locations, starting in Dublin and moving to the Sligo/Leitrim division in 1962 where he served until 1977.
Then he moved to the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, which was followed by a move to Dublin Castle - as Commander-in-Control - on promotion to inspector rank. This was followed by spells in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, and Sligo, until 1984 when he moved to Balbriggan on promotion to superintendent. He then served in Portlaoise and in the Crime Branch until he was appointed chief superintendent in charge of the Technical Bureau in 1991.
Sources describe him as "a decent man" and "a straight talker" who is adamant that the law must apply equally to everyone.
He can be curt and has a reputation for not suffering fools gladly. "He can be short. He is very direct. But he is not aggressive and the section is doing a good job especially in the money laundering area," one source said. Another said: "He is very much his own man. He says what he thinks."
