Garda reservists have complained of “victimisation, bullying and isolation” and say many of their colleagues have resigned from the part-time force as it was being left to “rot”, according to former minister for justice Michael McDowell.
Mr McDowell said that after he had spoken out previously, including in the Seanad, about the continued decline of the Garda Reserve, members and former members had contacted him to relay their concerns. Others vented their frustration about what they saw as the greater role they could play if more interest was taken in them by Garda management.
Mr McDowell said one reservist told him that “regrettably” there were “legitimate claims of victimisation, bullying and isolation amongst reserves which have been contributory factors to many resignations”.
‘Redundant and sidelined’
Another said that “as a group, we feel mostly totally redundant and sidelined and most of the remaining few have not resigned out of stubbornness more than anything else”.
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He said he was told by one reservist that three or four members resign every month, mainly due to the fact the Garda had “no interest in the reserve”.
Another said: “As a serving member of reserve rank since 2006 it is extremely disappointing to see the commendable concept of a ‘reserve’ continue to rot.”
In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters said recruitment to the reserve would recommence “later this year” and continue into the first quarter of 2024. It added the part-time force was a “valued” component of the Garda organisation.
Mr McDowell, who devised the reserve in 2006 when he was serving as minister for justice, said he cannot understand why it has “been allowed to slowly atrophy”. With the closure of many rural Garda stations in recent years and more policing being conducted “from patrol cars”, he believed the reserve could play a more important role than ever in policing.
He noted the fact the reserve had now fallen well below 400 members. If recruitment was recommenced, he said, people in rural areas would be assured by the presence of reservists living in their communities. This was especially the case in those locations where the nearest Garda station was far away, especially now that Garda divisions were so large after a recent divisional amalgamation process.
Mr McDowell also believed reservists could act as a conduit between local communities and the Garda and could also act as a vital source of local intelligence about crimes in communities countrywide.
“It is sad to record that their patriotism was met with neglect and distrust and many have written to me to express their profound disappointment at how they and their colleagues were treated,” he said, adding the concept should be fully revived with a significant recruitment campaign.
Bolstering policing
The reserve was launched with a view to bolstering policing in the Republic. It was intended the unpaid reservists could aid full-time Garda members during their duties and, in some cases, free them up from the most basic tasks, thus helping to boost frontline policing. It was envisaged, for example, they could aid the policing of major events and have a role in serving summonses and the issuing of fixed-charge penalty notices. The concept of a part-time unpaid police force has proven successful in some jurisdictions, including in Britain, though it has traditionally been resisted within the Garda.
At one time the reserve numbered 1,200 but had fallen below 700 by 2017 when a plan was launched to increase its size and revitalise the force. At that point, some 300 reservists were to be recruited this year as the first step in increasing it to 2,000 members by 2021. However, none of the plans set out for the reserve has been executed and there are 372 members.
Garda HQ said all reservists had recently been issued with new uniforms and that during the last round of recruitment into the full-time force, a dedicated stream was put in place for reservists. New powers had also been vested in reservists to allow them “fully assist” with policing during the pandemic, it said in a statement.
The reserve was a “unique opportunity for anyone wishing to support policing and give back to their communities” and offered “people from all backgrounds a policing experience”, it added.
