The Mission of An Garda Síochána is to 2007 · Annual Report of An Garda Síochána 3 FIGHTING CRIME DRUG Quantity Cases Cannabis 725,222 grams 1,324 Cannabis resin 1,167,285 grams

2007

ANNUAL REPORT OFAN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA

The Mission of An Garda Síochána is to achieve the highest attainable level of

• Personal Protection •• Community Commitment • State Security •

2 Annual Report of An Garda Síochána

This is the first Annual Reportpublished since I becameCommissioner. It covers the year2007 and a range of gardaactivities which fell largely underthe stewardship of mypredecessor, Noel Conroy whoretired last November. I want toacknowledge the long professionalcommitment and dedication ofNoel Conroy to policing in Ireland.

This report focuses on our coreactivities – the prevention anddetection of crime, protectingnational security, ensuring roadsafety and, most importantly,working on a daily basis with thecommunity.

Partnership and consultation withthe community is essential tosuccessful policing. Thecommunity’s problems are ourproblems and their needs are our

priorities. I am committed to re-energising and refocusingcommunity policing which isfundamental to the nature andquality of the service we provide.

Drugs present a major challengefor our society. Gardaí in bothnational and local units have madesignificant seizures and arreststhroughout 2007 and this will be an

important focus again in 2008. Wewill continue to target the supplyside and we will work to protectour young people and societygenerally from this unacceptableactivity which has ugly anddevastating consequences foreveryone involved.

This report presents garda activityin the community in its broadest

sense. It highlights successes inthe fight against serious andorganised crime, our ongoing workto reduce deaths and seriousinjuries on our roads, and theinteresting and innovative work inwhich gardaí across the countryengage on a daily basis tomaintain a meaningful connectionwith the people they serve.

Policing will never be without itschallenges and An Garda Síochánais ready and able to meet them.The community which we serve isalways changing and we too arecommitted to adapting andchanging as we work to provide anexcellent policing service toeveryone.

FACHTNA MURPHYCommissioner of

An Garda Síochána

COMMISSIONER’SFOREWORD

LOOKING TO THEFUTURE

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Operation Anvil’s Busy Year 3Serious Crime Review Team set up 4New Fingerprint IdentificationSystem 4The Garda Reserve 5First graduates of Diploma inPolicing Administration for Civilians 6Road Deaths down in 2007 7World Rally comes to the North West 10Gardaí raise €403,000 for UNICEFon Route 66 11Statistics 12

H I G H L I G H T S . . . .

‘Reflections of the real capital’, an award-winning photograph by Detective Garda AustinO’Callaghan, Garda Photographic Section. The photograph won the first prize in the National Police

Improvement Agency Police Photographer Award 2007.

Annual Report of An Garda Síochána 3

FIGHTING CRIME

DRUG Quantity Cases

Cannabis 725,222 grams 1,324

Cannabis resin 1,167,285 grams 2,454

Cannabis plants 1,264 plants 92

Heroin (Diamorphine) 117,854 grams 1,444

Ecstasy MDMA 119,127 tablets, 12,516 grams 948

Ecstasy MDEA 7 tablets 2

Ketamine 50.4 grams, 1,009 tablets 22

Amphetamine 54,933 grams, 10,395 tablets 194

Cocaine 1,718,499 grams 1,368

Diazepam 69,693 tablets, 24.2 grams 133

Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) 76 tablets 4

Flurazepam 3,527 capsules 18

Temazepam 4 tablets 2

Alprazolam 182 tablets 13

Methadone 5,323 millilitres, 691 tablets 13

Dihydrocodeine 311 tablets 10

Ephedrine 537 tablets, 27 capsules 4

Methylamphetamine 10.2 grams 5

BZP 60 tablets, 0.77 grams 13

MCPP 57,254 tablets 8

LSD 73 units 6

Particulars of Drugs Analysed during 2007

Operation AnvilOperation Anvil was set up in the DublinMetropolitan Region (DMR) in May 2005 totarget serious and organised criminalactivity. The operation was extendednationwide in 2006. Outside the DMR, thereare significant differences in the wayOperation Anvil is applied; operations have ashort-time focus and are designed to addressthe particular needs of specific areas.

Outside the DMR there were:

■ 14,682 persons arrested,

■ 595 firearms seized.(This is a running total since Anvil wentnationwide up to year-end 2007).

Crime trends are monitored closely and arethe subject of ongoing discussion at bothmanagement meetings and other appropriatefora. The Commissioner and DeputyCommissioner Operations are in ongoingcontact with the Regional AssistantCommissioners and Assistant Commissionersin charge of the National Units. Together theyput in place appropriate intelligence-ledinitiatives in conjunction with resourcesmade available under Operation Anvil.Indications at present are that theseinitiatives are proving effective, withparticular emphasis on serious and largevolume crimes. Operation Anvil is one ofmany initiatives that have been set up totackle criminal activity.

Arrest Category NumberBurglary 1,078Robbery Offences 454

Robbery from the person 260Robbery from establishments 185Other robberies 9

Murder 43Serious Assaults 375

Category No./Amt.No. of searches for drugs 21,585No. of searches for thefts 1,122No. of Section 29 searches 581No. of firearms seized/recovered 256No. of Section 41 seizures 7,856Value of property recovered €10,073,672

Anvil - DMR Figures for 2007

DRIVING DOWN CRIMEWhen the 2007 crime figures are compared to 2006 they show:-

■ A 5.4% DECREASE in burglary,■ An 18.3% DECREASE in theft from the person offences,■ A 12.4% DECREASE in robbery offences.

Strategic GoalTo significantly reduce the incidence of crime and criminal behaviour

The Organised Crime Unit (OCU) had a highlysuccessful year in 2007. During the year, 130arrests were made for crimes includingarmed robbery, drug trafficking, aggravatedburglary and firearms offences. 120 searcheswere conducted and 30 firearms and drugswith a street value of €7 million were seized.

The OCU focuses on criminality whichtranscends garda divisional boundariesincluding armed robberies, hi-jacking ofvaluable loads and commodities, warehouseburglaries, ‘tiger’ kidnappings and theimportation of large quantities of controlled

drugs. The Unit works closely with otherspecialist units including the Garda NationalDrugs Unit, the Garda National ImmigrationUnit and the Emergency Response Unit. Itidentifies and profiles suspects associatedwith the main criminal gangs. The OCUcontinues to work closely with local gardaí.

Two notable operations during 2007 werethe foiling of two robberies on cash in transitvans making deliveries to ATM’s in SandyfordBusiness Park, Co. Dublin (August) andCelbridge Co. Kildare (November). In bothcases, arrests were made, firearms were

recovered, no shots were fired, no personswere injured and no money was taken. Bothcases are currently before the courts.

Organised Crime Unit

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) took a number of actions in the fulfilment of its remit to target theproceeds of criminal conduct. These actions covered a wide range of Garda, Revenue and SocialWelfare activities. CAB started 16 new cases under the Proceeds of Crime Acts before the High Courtin 2007. Of these, 11 cases related to the proceeds of crime generated through drug dealing. This wasas a direct result of the Bureau’s policy to target drug dealing at all levels.

CAB collected €10,009,459 in relation to income from criminal conduct. Under Social Welfarelegislation the Bureau also disallowed persons not entitled to Social Welfare payments resulting insavings of €550,977 for all schemes and a total of €136,624 was recovered from overpayments made.

Orders obtained under the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996/2005

Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB)

Order Number ofDefendants

Number of Orders

Amount€

Amount STG £

Section 2 23 16 9,804,193 30,690

Section 3(1) 10 8 6,531,594 Nil

Section 3(3) 3 2 3,316,839 Nil

Section 4 5 3 907,154 Nil

Section 4A 4 4 528,187 Nil

Section 7 16 11 5,358,861 30,690

Cocaine with a street value of €105 million wasseized off Mizen Head in July 2007. This is the

largest seizure in the State to date.


NATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICESOn 23 November 2007 the new CommissionerFachtna Murphy, on his first official function asGarda Commissioner, welcomed the Minister forJustice, Equality and Law Reform, BrianLenihan, to Garda Headquarters to launch thenew Garda Automatic Fingerprint IdentificationSystem (AFIS).

The Commissioner highlighted thechallenges and opportunities that moderntechnology presents in the daily work ofpreventing and detecting crime. He also praisedthe work of the many agencies involved in thesuccessful delivery of the AFIS project.

The launch of the new AFIS marked thesuccessful completion of phase 1 of thischallenging project and represents asignificant investment of €7.6 million to date.

The system is now at the cutting edge offingerprint technology and has manyadvantages over the old system including:-

■ The capture of flat hand and palmimpressions,

■ Much greater degree of accuracy insearching ‘ten’ prints and palm prints.

The new technology is proving to be of greatassistance in supporting crime investigations.There has been a significant rise in the numberof identifications relating to crimes of burglary,

robbery, theft, criminal damage andunauthorised taking.

‘Livescans’ (electronic scanning) have beeninstalled in Mountjoy Prison, Store Street GardaStation and the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork.This means that fingerprints can now be takenwithout ink in these locations and sentelectronically without delay. AFIS also provideselectronic data links with EURODAC (Europeanfingerprints database stored in The Hague) andthe Office of the Refugee ApplicationsCommissioner (ORAC).

In the next phase of the project, the newAFIS will be deployed to a further 24 locationsincluding Divisional Garda Stations and Portsof Entry (Dublin Airport, Cork, Shannon).

Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS)On 1 August 2007 the Head of the new Civilian Analyst Service, Mr. Gurchand Singh, wasappointed along with two deputy heads. The Unit met with Senior Garda Management, divisionalrepresentatives and the national units to identify organisational needs and priorities. The aim ofGSAS is to assist An Garda Síochána in making Ireland safer by supporting policing excellence. Itwill do this through:-

■ Using crime pattern analysis techniques to determine patterns, trends, hotspots and linkedcrime series,

■ Formulating practical, evidence-based recommendations,

■ Evaluating the effectiveness of policing operations and techniques,

■ Assisting with ongoing operations by researching, collating and analysing information fromall relevant sources.

When fully operational, GSAS will provide a nationwide service and there will be 28 full-timeanalysts. It is anticipated that the analysts will be in place by the end of 2008.

New Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)

Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and Minister forJustice Brian Lenihan examine the new AFIS

The Garda Water Unit was deployed toDunmore East on 11 January 2007following the sinking of the PèreCharles with the loss of five crewmembers. There was a second incidenton 12 January when the Kinsale-basedHoneydew II sank with the loss of theboat’s skipper and a crew member. Thewreckage of the Honeydew II waslocated by other fishing boats threemiles off Ram’s Head, Ardmore, Co.Waterford.

The Coastguard requested theGarda Water Unit to conduct divesearches on the Honeydew II to checkfor the missing men. The Marine CasualtyInvestigation Board (MCIB) also sought theUnit’s assistance in determining the cause of thesinking. The Unit was offered and accepted theassistance of the Customs Service Cutter R.C.C.Suirbheir.

The Unit’s diving operation which lasteduntil 31 January was one of the biggest divingprojects it had ever conducted. Dives were deepand in a hazardous environment. The Unitsucceeded in penetrating the vessel andthoroughly searched all areas for two weeks. Inaddition the Unit’s divers made video footagewhich the MCIB used in its investigation. Thefootage was viewed in real time by the previousowner of the boat who was able to verify themethodical search carried out by the dive teamto the family and the fishing community.

RecoveryThe Garda Water Unit was again deployed to

Dunmore East on 4 November 2007 to assistwith the recovery of the Père Charles andMagi B. The Magi B sank in March 2005 withthe loss of two lives. The Divisional Search Teamcarried out a detailed search, assisted by theTechnical Bureau and the Garda Water Unit.Sadly no bodies from either sinking were located.The operation led to:-

■ An enhanced relationship between theGarda Water Unit and the Customs Service,

■ Heightened appreciation of the work of AnGarda Síochána by the wider fishingcommunity,

■ An improvement in the professionalcompetence of the Garda Water Unit.

The local community, and especially the fishingcommunity, were very grateful to the GardaWater Unit for their efforts and commitmentthroughout the operation, and a lasting sense ofcamaraderie and cooperation was forged.

Water Unit

Strategic GoalTo maintain national and international security

The Serious Crime Review team was set upin March 2007. The team investigates andreviews historical unresolved homicides. Itis headed up by a Detective Superintendentand includes one Detective Inspector, twodetective sergeants and four detectivegardaí. Each member has extensiveexperience both in the investigation ofmurder and serious crime, and the

preparation and submission of investigationmaterial to the Law Officers.

Initially only those cases that occurredafter 1 January 1980 were included in thecold case review. However should evidenceor material from cases that occurred beforethis date become available, then suchevidence would be pursued. A methodologyhas been developed in the screening and

developing of potential cases including:-

■ Use of documents held at the GardaNational Archives and Repository at Santry,

■ Original investigation material,

■ Information supplied by originalinvestigators,

■ Information supplied by the ForensicScience Laboratory,

■ Interaction with the relatives of crimevictims.

Each member of the team attended a SeriousCrime Review Course in the United Kingdom.Two members have been trained as FamilyLiaison Officers and contact has alreadybeen made with some of the families ofmurder victims. This contact is a vital part ofthe team’s strategy.

The Firearms Automated Training System(FATS) was introduced in January 2007. This isa digital interactive marksmanship andjudgemental training system using bluetoothtechnology. It provides simulated training,exposing course participants to hundreds ofvarying scenarios and is used extensively bypolice forces all over the world. Only gardaíwho are firearms cardholders i.e. trained andmeet the required standard are permitted tocarry and use firearms. 65% of all authorisedfirearms cardholders received a one dayintroduction to the system, which has thefollowing benefits:-

■ It shows how fast an incident involvingfirearms can occur,

■ It highlights the importance of cover andconcealment,

■ Cardholders receive feedback on whereand how they are or are not hitting thetarget,

■ All small weapons currently in service byAn Garda Síochána can be used on thesystem,

■ It can be moved from region to region andset up quickly.

A number of digital interactive marksmanshipand judgemental trainers provide the FATStraining. One of the trainers is responsible forthe Eastern, Western and Northern Regions,one is based in the Garda College withresponsibility for the Southern Region and athird trainer is based in Harcourt Square.

The introduction of FATS for authorisedfirearms cardholders has been very successfuland it is anticipated that the remainingcardholders will receive training in the systemin 2008.

FATS in action

Firearms Automated Training System

Serious Crime Review Team


COMMUNITY - at the heart of policing

The Cork City Division continuedto engage with the communitythrough a variety of initiativesand interactions, while preparingfor the roll-out of the NationalModel of Community Policing.Noteworthy events in 2007included:-

A joint initiative with BusÉireann to reduce the number ofcriminal damage incidents. Thescheme involves school visits bya Bus Éireann representative,

community gardaí and a memberof the Cork hurling team whosefather is a bus driver. The aim isto educate school children aboutthe consequences of their actionsand to generate respect for BusÉireann officials, particularly thedrivers. A number of gardaí travelon the buses from time to timeand this has proven to be apowerful deterrent to anti-socialbehaviour.

Refugees from the Kinsale

Road Accommodation Centrevisited Anglesea Street GardaStation on Anti-Racism Daywhere they received a tour of thestation.

Garda Ethnic Liaison Officersfrom the Cork City Division heldtheir first meeting in AngleseaStreet. This initiative wasdesigned to encourage membersfrom outside districts to becomemore involved with immigrantsand immigrant issues.

In 2007, CCTV systems were installed inBallyfermot, Clondalkin and Tullamore, whereCCTV was successfully used for the PloughingChampionships and Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.Garda telecommunications staff are currentlyinstalling town centre CCTV projects inDrogheda, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Carlow andAthlone. These projects are groundbreaking interms of the speed of rollout and the wirelesstechnology. The systems have huge benefits foroperational policing in towns all aroundIreland. Significant inroads were made in 2007into making CCTV systems more widely avail-able and this work will be built on in 2008.

CCTV Systems for theEastern Region

The Garda Reserve was provided for by theGarda Síochána Act 2005. It is a voluntary,unpaid body drawn from the community whosepurpose is to assist the full-time force invarious policing duties. Reserve gardaí havecertain garda powers while on duty and at alltimes are accompanied and supported by full-time members of An Garda Síochána. Theduties of a reservist include:-■ Communications room duty,■ Foot patrol,■ Road traffic checkpoint duties,■ Giving evidence in court.The Reserve is coordinated, managed andmarketed by a Chief Superintendent and aSuperintendent. The Public AppointmentsService (PAS) manages the recruitmentprocess. The intensive training programmecomprises five phases as follows:-Phase 1: Weekend induction training at the

Garda College, Templemore,Phase 2: A minimum of 56 hours of legal

instruction delivered in 3 hourmodules,

Phase 3: Weekend of role-play exercises,radio, self-defence and handcuffprocedures at the Garda College,

Phase 4: 40 hours ‘on the job’ training atthe local garda station,

Phase 5: One day attestation andgraduation ceremony.

The Garda Reserve helps An Garda Síochánato develop closer links with local communities.Moreover it allows committed individuals froma diversity of professional, social, cultural andethnic groups to take part in policing.

Members have joined from China, Japan,Nigeria and Germany and come from manydifferent professions including nursing andteaching. At year end 2007 there were 217attested members in the Garda Reserve and74 in training.

Garda Reserve

Crimecall

Community Initiatives in Cork City

Community policing was supported through a number of developmentsin 2007:-

■ A Joint Policing Committee (JPC) Office was set up in May 2007. Themain role of the JPC Office is to monitor garda involvement in JointPolicing Committees and make recommendations on howparticipation and effectiveness could be improved,

■ A Superintendent was appointed to the new position of Family LiaisonOfficer in March 2007 to improve victim-related services,

■ The pilot phase of the Garda Síochána National Model of CommunityPolicing was approved and work is progressing to implement same,

■ At year end 2007, 1,250 Community Alert and 2,601 NeighbourhoodWatch schemes were active throughout the country.

To support An Garda Síochána’sStrategic Goal on Ethnic and CulturalDiversity, 20,000 copies of ‘An Garda

Síochána – our Police Service inIntercultural Ireland’ were producedin 11 languages. Some 3,000 posterswere printed in 11 languages for the

‘Racism is Wrong’ campaign

GARDA RESERVE - COMMENDATION FOR RESERVISTA reservist received a commendation letter from hisSuperintendent for his quick thinking while on duty inJune 2007. He observed suspicious activity while outon foot patrol which led to the search of a previouslyunknown drug dealer and the recovery of a substantialquantity of drugs. His achievement encouraged thereservist to apply to become a full-time member, andhe started his training in Templemore in February2008. This incident shows that in addition tooperational benefits, the Reserve can be a valuablerecruitment tool by identifying people with an aptitudefor policing work.

WHY I JOINED THE GARDA RESERVEI am an operations manager but have always had aninterest in An Garda Síochána. When the GardaReserve was established, I saw an opportunity to givesomething back to the community. I started mytraining in January 2007 and was attested on 20 June2007. I was assigned to Fitzgibbon Street GardaStation where my main role is assisting full-timemembers in policing special events at Croke Park suchas the GAA All Ireland finals. I also assist the Sergeantin the public office by validating passport and drivinglicence applications, taking reports of variousincidents and dealing with general enquiries frommembers of the public. While out on the beat, I amalways accompanied by a full-time uniformed member.I have assisted in numerous arrests and incidents. Ifind being a reservist interesting and challenging - it’sreally rewarding to be assisting the gardaí with theirwork in the community.

Sergeant Gary Gordon and Garda Aidan Fitzpatrick, ofthe Community Policing Unit at the CameroonianCommunity in Kilkenny’s 2007 Christmas Party

Inspector Tony Gallagher, SuperintendentJohn Leahy and Sergeant Declan Yeats at

the Ireland V England RBS Six NationsInternational on 24 February 2007 at Croke

Park. Irish policing passed a stern testunder the scrutiny of an international

Community Policing – 2007 Highlights

Strategic GoalTo build a garda service that reflects the needs

and priorities of the people of Ireland

Strategic GoalTo provide equal protection and appropriate service, while

nurturing mutual respect and trustCrimecall is an hour-long televisionprogramme which is broadcast monthly onRTE One on a Tuesday at 10.15pm. It was firstbroadcast in September 2004 and is now inits fourth series.

The programme attracts an averageaudience of 360,000 viewers. The studioreceives about 100 calls from members of thepublic during and after the programme. Insome cases these calls identify a suspect in aninvestigation. In almost all cases they providenew avenues of investigation. The calls arepassed on to the investigators in each case.

The programme provides an in-depthanalysis of crime, including televised re-enactments, which greatly improve publicresponse. In addition to serious crime, theprogramme includes special features onmatters of public concern e.g. road safety,drug abuse, missing persons and crimeprevention advice.

The Community Relations Section,assisted by the Garda Press and PublicRelations Office, is responsible for theCrimecall initiative. The main objective of theCommunity Relations Section is to further thesupport and confidence of the public.Crimecall supports this aim and is therefore acentral part of the Community Relations remit.It alsoencourages thepublic toengage with thegardaí in theprevention andsolving ofcrime, which isa central aspectof the PolicingPlan.

Inspector Colm Fox receiving the World Refugee Day Award on 20 June 2007 at areception in Civic Offices. The award is given for achievements in promoting

cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the ethnic and minority communities.

On 15 January 2008, Dublin City Councilhosted a function in City Hall to launch theChinese New Year. About 200 guestsattended, including the ChineseAmbassador H. E. Mr. Lu Biwei, Dublin CityLord Mayor Paddy Bourke and the designerJohn Rocha. The function was attended bystudent gardaí of Chinese nationality - asure reflection of the increased diversity inmodern Irish society.

Chinese New Year

Inspector Colm Healy Community Relations, withthe Chinese Ambassador, His Excellency LiuBiwei and Student Gardaí at the Dublin City

Council Chinese New Year Celebrations

Garda Alan Roughneen is aregular presenter on

CrimeCall.

audience on this historic occasion.

Remote Entry Payroll ProjectThe remote entry payroll project went live in theFinance Section in November 2007. This projectwill allow garda overtime and allowances to beentered directly to the payroll system fromsource i.e. from each garda district office. Itreplaces the current manual system and bringssignificant cost and time savings. It is plannedgo live in three pilot sites in early 2008 with anationwide roll-out completed by mid 2008.

Electronic Fund TransferThe Finance Section introduced Electronic FundTransfer (EFT) for the payment of travel andsubsistence claims. By the end of 2007, ChiefSuperintendents and Superintendents hadsigned up to EFT. The project will be completedin 2008 when the details of members at Garda,Sergeant and Inspector ranks are uploaded tothe Financial Management System. The resultwill be that members’ travel and subsistenceclaims will be processed quicker and moreefficiently.

Procurement■ All operational gardaí have now received

anti stab/ballistic vests,

■ A contract was awarded for the purchase ofchemical, biological and radiationprotection suits and equipment,

■ A pilot project which outsourced theadministration and storage of vehiclesseized under the Road Traffic Act, 1994 wasrun in Cork City. The outsourcing of routinework associated with the legislationsuccessfully freed up garda personnel toconcentrate on core policing tasks. Due tothe success of the project, it will be extendedto Cork West, Limerick and Galway in 2008.

TransportThe addition of 761 new vehicles to the GardaFleet significantly increased the overall fleetsize and also reduced the average vehicle age.The composition of the Garda Fleet at the endof 2007 was as follows:-

The age profile at the end of 2007 was asfollows:-

Housing■ Three new garda stations at Castlerea,

Oranmore and Schull were built,

■ The building of six new stations started inBallymun, Claremorris, Finglas, Irishtown,Kill-o-the-Grange and Leixlip,

■ Fixed Charge Processing System officeswere decentralised to Thurles and CivilianHR moved to Navan.

The new stations and the staff moves easedaccommodation concerns by providing much-improved facilities. This in turn leads to gardastations and offices providing a better serviceto both garda personnel and the community.

HR Excellence AwardThe Garda Human Resource (HR) team won thetop award in the public service category at theChartered Institute of Personnel andDevelopment (CIPD) HR Excellence Awards.

The CIPD Awards recognise excellence in HRin the private and public sector. In particularthey identify benchmarks that others can apply,thereby contributing to the growth and develop-ment of human resource management in Ireland.

The HR team’s initiative, ‘Modernising theGarda HR Function’, showed how HR could addvalue to An Garda Síochána and support itscorporate objectives. The initiative outlined a HRstrategy that was linked to improving operationalpolicing performance. It also identified projectsaimed at increasing both organisational andindividual HR capability across the service.These projects include the introduction of a web-based HR knowledge database and thedevelopment of the Garda Executive LeadershipProgramme (GELP).

Achievements of theCivilianisation Programme in2007 included:

■ 383 new Clerical Officerswere assigned to An GardaSíochána and postedthroughout the country.(This figure includes thefilling of existingvacancies),

■ Appointments were made to the positions ofChief Administrative Officer and Director ofCommunications,

■ 13 teachers were appointed to the GardaCollege,

■ 12 Higher Executive Officers were appointedin Garda Headquarters and the regionaloffices,

■ A dedicated Human Resource Directorate wasestablished to serve the needs of the civilian,administrative, professional, technical andindustrial staff in An Garda Síochána and topromote an extensive programme ofcivilianisation.

Garda Employee Assistance ProgrammeOn 27 January 2007, the Garda Commissioner re-launched the Garda Employee Assistance Service.The re-launch followed a review of the GardaWelfare Service which proposed various changesaimed at making the programme more relevant toemployees. A large quantity of leaflets, posters,information cards and policy documentation wasdistributed throughout the organisation toincrease awareness of the service.

Bullying policy The new policy and procedure guide onharassment, sexual harassment and bullying inthe workplace came into effect on 1 November

2007. A comprehensive training programme isbeing delivered at all management ranks tosupport the policy and ensure full compliancewith the legislation.


MANAGING OUR RESOURCES

Under1 Year

1 to 2Years

2 to 3Years

3 to 4Years

4 to 6Years

Over 6Years

25% 29% 15% 9% 13% 9%

Cars Vans Motor-cycles

4 x4s

Multi-purposevehicles

Mini-buses HGVs Total

1,769 257 235 92 43 54 3 2,453

On 30 October 2007 at a ceremony in Templemore, tensenior gadaí became the first graduates of the newGarda Executive Leadership Programme (GELP). Theprogramme started in September 2006. It aims to providesenior garda officers with structured opportunities forpersonal growth and professional development.

The UCD Smurfit School of Business designed anddelivered the modules which include NegotiationStrategy and Team Development & Organisation.Participants complete ten three-day modules on amonthly basis, and attend an additional overseas

module at the Kennedy School of Government, HarvardUniversity.

Graduates receive an Advanced ManagementDiploma in Police Leadership and can go on to completea M.Sc. by research.

This world-class executive-level programmerepresents a substantial investment by An GardaSíochána in the development of its senior managementteam. A further group of 14 police officers includingrepresentatives from other police forces started theprogramme in September 2007.

Garda Strength as of the 31 December 2007

Sworn members 13,755

Trainee gardaí 1,043

Total strength 14,798

Garda Reserve as of the 31 December 2007

Sworn members 217

In training 74

Ethnic RecruitmentGarda trainees recruited from non-Irish backgrounds

18

Garda reserve trainees recruited fromnon-Irish backgrounds

11

Garda Civilianisation Programme Full-time equivalent civilian staff1 Jan 2007

1,282

Full-time equivalent civilian staff31 Dec 2007

1,687

Increase 32%

Recruitment and Allocation

Trainee gardaí recruited 1,032

Gardaí attested and allocated tostations

1,090

Human Resource Allocation to An Garda Síochána

Engaging, Training, Developing and Motivating Staff

Garda Executive Leadership Programme

Finance

Mr. John Leamy, ChiefAdministrative Officer

The new garda helicopter which was delivered in 2007represents an investment of €7.6 million in the Garda Fleet

Some 65 civilian staff became the first graduates ofthe IPA Diploma in Policing Administration. Thecourse was commissioned by the Learning andDevelopment Unit in the Civilian HR Directorate. Thecourse aims to provide students with extensiveknowledge of the history, functions, structures andculture of An Garda Síochána, the legal frameworkwithin which it operates, its ongoing change andmodernisation programme and comparative studiesof other police forces. Following on from the successof the first year of the programme, 70 students arecurrently enrolled in the 2007/2008 course.

Assistant Commissioner Nacie Rice with graduates from the IPADiploma in Policing Administration Elaine O’Donovan, Frances

Howley and Judy Keane. © Ann Egan Photography

Policing Administration DiplomasLouis Harkin wasappointed AssistantCommissioner Strategyin May 2007. Hesucceeded AssistantCommissioner PatCrummey. A native ofCo. Laois, Louis Harkinhas served with An Garda Síochána since1972. He previously worked as ChiefSuperintendent in the StrategicManagement Initiative Office and theChange Management Unit.

The Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations2007 came into effect on 1 June 2007 and werethe subject of regional briefings.

During 2007, 103 members were found tobe in breach of the Garda Síochána (Discipline)Regulations 1989 and 15 in breach of theGarda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations 2007.This resulted in four dismissals and 114

members receiving a combination of monetarysanctions, cautions and reprimands. The totalmonetary penalties imposed on members was

52,332. One member was dismissed underthe provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005and nine members remained suspended at theend of the year.

In 2007, six people died in garda custody.Two of these deaths (Store Street and Naas) are

being investigated by an officer outside therelevant division, appointed by the GardaCommissioner. The remaining four deaths(Tralee, Bishopstown, Gurranabraher andTerenure) are being investigated by the GardaSíochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC)which since its establishment on 9 May 2007examines and reports on all deaths in gardacustody. No inquests have been held to date.

Internal Affairs


TRAFFIC

Changing Driver Behaviour

Delivering Safer Roads

In 2007 adedicated

TrafficSuperintendentwas appointedin each Garda

Region

Strategic GoalTo significantly reduce the incidence of fatal and serious injury

collisions and improve traffic flow

The Garda’s Road Safety Unit stand at the YoungScientist Exhibition in the RDS in January 2007 and

(inset) Garda Declan Egan attached to the DMR TrafficCorps, Dublin Castle with his family at the exhibition.

An Garda Síochána is committed tosignificantly reducing the incidence of fataland serious road traffic collisions and toimproving road safety. In 2007, this goal wassupported through significant investment inboth forensic collision investigation personneland equipment, and rigorous enforcement ofroad traffic legislation.

New Forensic Collision Equipment andPersonnel■ Forensic Collision Investigation equipment

was purchased for each of the six regionsto assist in the investigation of fatal andserious injury collisions,

■ 13 members are now qualified as ForensicCollision Investigators to expert statusand a further 16 members are undergoingtraining,

■ A Traffic Collision Investigation Manualwas produced. The manual outlines gardapolicy for the investigation, reporting andrecording of all traffic collisions.

EnforcementGardaí continued to provide strong, targetedenforcement in 2007, particularly atweekends and over holiday periods such asbank holiday weekends. This rigorous,intelligence-led enforcement resulted indetections in key road safety areasincreasing significantly in 2007 over 2006figures, although this is of course no comfort

to families bereaved through road trafficcollisions.■ Speeding detections increased by 8.9%,■ Drink driving detections increased by 5%,■ Dangerous driving detections increased by

37%,■ Seatbelt detections increased by 14%,

32,669 fixed charge notices were issued formobile phone usage. (The use of handheldmobile phones became a penalty point offencein September 2006).

The number of people killed on Ireland’sroads fell again in 2007 from 368 to 338.Analysis of these fatalities showed:-■ The 16 to 30 year old age group continued

to be at most risk from road trafficrelated death with 129 of the 338 killed inthat category,

■ The most dangerous times for fatalcollisions were between 4 and 6pm (38), 8and 10am (37), 6 and 8pm (35) and 10and 12pm (31),

■ The most dangerous days were Sunday(75), Saturday (59) and Thursday (56),

■ December was the worst month forfatalities with 37 deaths followed by July(31), April (30) and June (29),

■ Males accounted for 252 fatalities andfemales 86,

■ Drivers accounted for 138 of the roaddeaths, passengers accounted for 70 andpedestrians accounted for 82.

‘It won’t happen to me’ - on the road withthe Garda Road Safety Unit

The Garda Road Safety Unit piloted its newpresentation called ‘It won’t happen to me’, in40 schools around the country in 2007. Thisprogramme is aimed at secondary schoolstudents and forms part of the road safetymodule on the Transition Year syllabus. TheRoad Safety Unit delivered the presentation to2,600 students in 2007 and received veryfavourable feedback. It also trained 75members in the delivery of the programme. Itis anticipated that the module will beintroduced into every Transition Year syllabusfrom 2008.

The Unit also delivered the presentation to 790 people in community groups andindustry during the year. A number of highprofile companies availed of the presentationfor staff.

In addition to going into schools,businesses and community groups, the Unitstaffed an information stand at a number ofhigh profile exhibitions in 2007.

These included the Young ScientistExhibition, Pro Drive event, Mondello Park,Young Social Innovators, Irish Classic andVintage Show and The National PloughingChampionships. These exhibitions provided agreat opportunity for all age groups in thecommunity to address road safety concernswith members of the Unit. Questions rangedfrom serious road safety issues to how fastthe garda bikes and helicopters go! Theexhibitions also give members of the unit theopportunity to gauge young people’s opinionsof road safety issues.

Central to the Unit's approach is itsinformal style, while never downplaying theseriousness of road safety. Members of theUnit talk ‘to’ people and not ‘at’ them.Members also have vast experience of traffic policing from both a collisioninvestigation and enforcement perspective,which gives credibility to the advice theyprovide.

The challenge of changing the behaviourof all road users, including pedestrians,continues to be the focus of An GardaSíochána. In that regard, An GardaSíochána continues to work closely withother agencies including the NationalRoads Authority, the Road Safety Authority,Local Authorities and other relevantstakeholders. Road safety is also promotedwidely in schools, colleges and atexhibitions.

Receipt of new Yamaha FJR 1300 motorbikes which added significantly to the Garda Traffic Fleet in 2007


AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA- WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY

DMR North

Santry, Raheny and Coolock Garda Districts –Every Christmas Juvenile Liaison Officers(JLOs) from Coolock Garda Station arrange forSanta Claus to visit the local primary schools.Last year the JLOs were joined by communitygardaí in the visit to St Joseph’s School on theMacroom Road in Coolock. Santa Claus arrivedby helicopter with lots of presents. The GardaBand added to the entertainment. A great timewas had by all - parents, teachers, gardaí andespecially the children.

A new hill-walking club based in Santry wasset up in April 2007. The GardaMountaineering and Canoeing Club coversall aspects of outdoor pursuits includinghill-walking, orienteering, rock-climbing andkayaking. It caters for all levels ofexperience, and provides a safe andwelcoming environment for anyoneinterested in developing their competencyand fitness in the great outdoors. Monthlywalks take place in the beautifulsurroundings of the Wicklow and Dublinmountains. The club is open to members,civilian personnel and the general public.

Mountain skills course in September 2007 on top ofLugnaquila. Included: Sergeant Ian Lambe, David Carrol

(Civilian Children’s officer), Garda Seosaimh Ó Conghaile,Garda Robin Faughnan, Sergeant Aidan McGuinness and

Garda Brian Ó Faolain

DMR WestBlanchardstown, Lucan and ClondalkinGarda Districts – Lucan Garda Station heldan Intercultural Family Day on 23September 2007. A number of gardaspecialist services attended, including theGarda Mounted Unit, Garda Water Unit,Garda Dog Unit, Air Support Unit, GardaNational Immigration Bureau, Garda Reserve,Divisional Traffic Unit, Drugs Unit, DetectiveUnit, Scenes of Crime and Garda Museum.Between 500 and 600 people of variousnationalities attended. There were guidedtours of the station and a video display wasput on by the Air Support Unit. Entertainmentwas provided by the Garda Band and there

was face painting and balloon modelling forchildren. The event was a great success anda similar open day is planned for 28September 2008.

DMR North CentralStore Street, Bridewell and Fitzgibbon StreetGarda Districts – The Community Policing Unitin Fitzgibbon Street introduced a scheme toimprove the safety of vulnerable people intheir home. The scheme is built around amonitored pendant alarm and smoke detectorthat is linked to a call centre.

The project is grant-aided and received€25,463 from the Department of Community,Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs in 2007. To date, 62applications for alarm systems and sensorlights have been fulfilled with another 60scheduled for 2008.

Garda John Condron from the CommunityPolicing Unit in Fitzgibbon Street won theTemplemore Town Council Medal in April 2007for this project. He was awarded the medal fordemonstrating ‘exceptional social andinterpersonal skills’ and a ‘commitment to thecommunity in which he served’.

As a result of the scheme many of theresidents feel safer in their own homes. Therehas also been a drop in the number ofburglaries and closer links with the communityhave been forged.

DMR EastDún Laoghaire, Blackrock and Bray GardaDistricts – Operation Slogan began in January2007 in the Dún Laoghaire District. The projectaimed to tackle the serious graffiti problem inthe district through the development andimplementation of a coordinated strategy.Members from different units throughout thedistrict became involved as the project wenton. The first step was the identification andphotographing of graffiti locations. In addition,a database was set up to store pictures andlocations of graffiti, and information aboutgraffiti artists and their artistic styles.

Early on in the project the ‘tag’ (or‘signature’) of a prolific graffiti artist wasconnected to him. He was later charged andthe case is currently before the courts. Theproject was widened as a result of thisoperation. Directions about the operation weresent to all members and the Garda PULSEsystem was upgraded to allow the creation ofincidents relating to Operation Slogan. Anotherimportant part of the project was offenderprofiling. It was found that the typical offenderwas between 11 and 14 years of age andlearnt about graffiti on the internet.

A further benefit that arose from theproject was the strengthening of links with thecommunity. As with many crime initiatives, thesuccess of Operation Slogan depended on thecooperation and assistance of members of thepublic, community groups and businesses. Thelocal support for the project was a key factor inits success. Further links were created withDún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council whichplayed its part throughout the swift removal ofgraffiti, particularly in very problematic areas.

In addition to working with the Council,community gardaí also forged cooperative linkswith the Catholic Youth Council, youth workersand schools.

Offenders are dealt with in a variety ofways. Some are brought before the courts andin other cases offenders are dealt with underthe Juvenile Diversion Programme. Often theinjured parties (e.g. the Council) take part inthe process and explain the problems causedby the graffiti and the cost of removing it.Where possible, cleaning and re-painting iscarried out by the offender.

Sergeant Con Mulhall comments thatOperation Slogan has been very successful intackling the graffiti problem in the district.Members are also developing long termstrategies for the problem. These include theincorporation of the graffiti problem into theSchools Programme, use of restorative justicemeetings with injured parties and a possibleinter-agency initiative involving An GardaSíochána, the Department of Education &Science and the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage & Local Government.The key message is that graffiti is a crime, hasserious cost implications for injured partiesand may in certaininstances result incustodial sentences. Ifthis message isbrought home earlyenough to youngchildren this shouldstem the problem if notstop it completely.

Dublin Metropolitan Region

Garda Philip McCaffrey attached to the Garda Bandwelcomes Santa to St. Joseph's School, Coolock

Garda John Condron speaking with residents at apresentation about the safety scheme in Croke Park

Events like the Intercultural FamilyDay in Lucan Garda Station support An

Garda Síochána’s Strategic Goal onEthnic and Cultural Diversity. In 2007,

there were 215 such initiativesinvolving traveller, refugee and

migrant communities. The aim ofthese initiatives is to build trust andconfidence with ethnic and culturally

diverse communities.

Initiatives such as the Gardascheme introduced in DMR NorthCentral to improve the safety ofvulnerable people in their home

support An Garda Síochána’sStrategic Goal on Community

Engagement.

Students from DMR South walking the 'Wicklow Way’

DMR SouthCrumlin, Tallaght and Terenure Garda Districts– A DMR South tradition is for student gardaí towalk some of the ‘Wicklow Way’ to satisfy boththeir Phase Two Sports Project requirement, andto raise money for charity. Three groupscompleted the walk in 2007 and between themraised €6,834 for charity. The first two walksbetween them raised €4,000 for Debra Ireland.

The third walk raised €2,834 for Our Lady’sChildren’s Hospital Crumlin.

On 21 June 2007, members from differentstations in DMR South took part in the‘Longest Day Walk’ to raise money for theSpecial Olympics. It also turned out to be thewettest day! Undeterred, the group completedthe walk and raised about €15,000.

Projects likeOperation Slogan target anti-social

behaviour in the community, and therefore support

An Garda Síochána’sStrategic Goal on Public Order.


AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA - WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY

Cork City Anglesea Street, Gurranabraher, Mayfield andTogher Garda Districts – In May 2007, aCommunity Garda based in Anglesea Street,Trish O’Ríordan, received a Civic Award foroutstanding work with the immigrantcommunity and her commitment tointercultural issues. The Lord Mayor of CorkCity presented Garda O’Ríordan with theaward at a high profile event attended by 500guests.

The first ‘Festival of the Bulls’ waslaunched in Blackpool Shopping Centreduring the June bank holiday weekend. TheTraffic Corps placed a number of crashedcars in strategic areas to raise awareness ofroad safety and also made somepresentations to those attending the festival.The Garda Mounted Unit also attended.

Cork North Fermoy, Cobh, Midleton and Mallow GardaDistricts – The Glanmire Hurling Blitz hostedby Sarsfield’s Hurling Club at Riverstown,under its Chairman Tadgh Murphy andPresident Denis Hurly, is Cork’s mostprestigious annual hurling competition forunder nines and attracts interest from allover the country. Sergeant Barry Myres alongwith Garda Noel Fitzgerald, Community Gardaand Pat Hegarty, Juvenile Liaison Officer,organised and coordinated the 2007 Blitzwhich took place in August. The event is animportant part of the Cobh Garda Districtcommunity engagement programme. 16 teams took part representing Cork City andcounty and Killeagh St. Ita’s from East Corkwon this hugely competitive event. Followinglast year’s success, more clubs than everhave expressed interest in the 2008 event,which will take place 3 August.

The trophy is presented at the Glanmire Hurling Blitz.Included are Superintendent Pat Sheahan and Denis Hurly,

President of Sarsfield’s.

Cork WestBandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, Kanturk andMacroom Garda Districts – An InternationalSoccer Tournament in conjunction with theTimoleague Harvest Festival was organised byBandon Community Garda James O’Donovan.Many workers employed by businesses in theBandon area and representing a number ofEastern European countries took part. The eventwas very successful particularly in helping tointegrate ethnic minorities into the community.

The annual Kinsale Rugby Sevens whichtakes place over the May bank holiday weekendalways represents a vigorous policingchallenge. The event continues to grow in

popularity and attracts a huge following fromall over the world, with teams competing fromBritain and Europe. In 2007, the event waspoliced with the assistance of the GardaMounted Unit which proved very successful.

In July 2007, the International Caravanningand Camping Club (ICCC) held their annualrally at the “Green Glens”, arena in Millstreet.The finale of this 14-day event was the ‘Paradeof Nations’ which took place in Millstreet Town.Despite it being one of the wettest days of theyear, the parade attracted a huge crowd withparticipants from all over the world. Gardaípoliced this large and lively event effectivelywhile always maintaining their good humourdespite the elements!

Kerry Tralee, Cahirciveen, Killarney, Listowel GardaDistricts – The Tralee School of Tae Kwon Dowon the Garda Friendship Award 2007. Theaward is given to organisations thatencourage youth involvement and participationand make an outstanding contribution to thecommunity.

A Garda Gala Night in Aid of SuicidePrevention took place on 2 Feb 2007 at theBrandon Hotel, Tralee. Over 1,400 peopleattended this event which raised €16,000 forthe Irish Association of Suicidology.

The Garda Just Us Garden Project inassociation with the local AIB concluded inNovember 2007. Over €20,000 was spent onthe grounds of a local school. The money wasraised through Tralee Community Policinginitiatives.

Community gardaí organised a Social Dayin the fishing town of Dingle for over 60 resi-dents of Tralee. A great time was had by all.

Over 30 gardaí attached to Tralee Districttook part in a Charity Triathlon which includ-ed a run, a swim and a cycle. They raised€6,000 for the Castleisland CommunityCentre.

LimerickHenry Street, Roxboro Road, Askeaton andNewcastlewest Garda Districts – Communitygardaí in Mayorstone and Henry Street Gardastations, with the assistance of the TrafficCorps, ran several Road Safety initiatives aspart of the Garda Schools Programme. Theseinitiatives included presentations in nationalschools and visits to Mayorstone GardaStation by local schoolchildren.

Another project was a pedal cycle safety

competition in conjunction with LimerickSports Partnership and Simpson Xavier.Students learned about cycle safety throughpractising on an obstacle course similar to thatused on the Garda Mountain Bike course. JFKMemorial School on the Ennis Road, Limerickwon the competition and was presented withthe top prize of a school computer.

Other events organised by gardaí atMayorstone and Henry Street included:-

A Sports Day at the Limerick Institute ofTechnology in August. This event wasattended by 90 young people from Ballynanty,Killeely, Thomondgate, Rhebogue and otherareas of the city.

A Tag Rugby league in conjunction withthe IRFU with games in Ballynanty andMoyross National schools.

Gardaí at Roxboro Road Sub-Districtorganised many initiatives during 2007including the 20th Senior Citizens ChristmasParty. 230 senior citizens attended this eventat Our Lady’s Queen of Peace CommunityCentre on 10 December. The Mayor of Limerickalso attended.

A sponsored walk in May raised €5,300for the Special Olympics Sponsor an AthleteProgramme.

The work experience programme forstudents in second-level colleges, now in its fifth year, was again very successful in2007.

Southern RegionTipperaryThurles, Cahir, Clonmel, Nenagh,Templemore and Tipperary Garda Districts –Over 350 people attended the seventh CahirOlder Person’s Party on 18 January 2007.Sergeant Peter Butler, Garda Pat Englishand Garda Paschal O’Dwyer organised theparty along with the Cahir DistrictCommunity Alert committee. Crimeprevention leaflets were distributed on thenight. The local Superintendent addressedthe attendees and thanked the variousgroups for their help in preventing crimeand improving the quality of life for theelderly. One of the many benefits of runningthis event is that elderly residents get toknow their local gardaí and similarly gardaíget to know where these residents live. Inaddition, the event helps to maintainCommunity Alert groups by providing themwith a major social event and recognisingtheir work.

Sergeant Peter Butler thanking Mr. Bill Coffey, theTreasurer of Cahir District Community Alert for

committee-funding of the Older Person’s Party andother community initiatives

South Eastern Region

Waterford/Kilkenny Waterford, Dungarvan, Kilkenny, Thomastownand Tramore Garda Districts – KilkennyGardaí raised €5,213 for the SpecialOlympics Support an Athlete Programme2007 through two events. The first event wasa table quiz in July organised by theCommunity Policing Unit, which raised€1,720. The second event was a sponsoredcycle. Gardaí from the Community PolicingUnit and regular units in the districtcompleted the 55 kilometre route which tookthem through Castlecomer, Ballyragget andFreshford. The cycle raised €3,493.

Events like the Cahir Community AlertParty support An Garda Síochána’s

Strategic Goal on CommunityEngagement. In 2007, there were 1,250active Community Alert schemes and

2,601 Neighbourhood Watch schemes inoperation.

Members in Kilkenny who took part in the sponsored cycle

Sean Murtagh from JFK Primary School, winner of the Pedal Cycle Safety Competition, which was run by

community gardai from Limerick in conjunction withLimerick City Sports Partnership (LCSP) and Simpson

Xavier (SX). Also pictured are Denis Herlihy (SX), ElaineO'Connor (LCSP) and Garda John Flanagan attached to the

Mayorstone Community Policing Unit.

Members of the Limerick Dog Unit with Aisling and CaolanParrot at the Limerick Garda Sports Camp 2007 which was

organised by Mayorstone community gardaí.

Community gardai attached to Mayorstone Garda Station



Carlow/KildareNaas, Kildare, Carlow and Baltinglass GardaDistricts – 2007 marked the final year of thefive-year Naas Garda League. This is acommunity soccer tournament for children andteenagers from the ages of 7 to 17. Thetournament was the idea of a CommunityGarda, Mark Doran, who was struck by theamount of young people hanging aroundkicking a football about in the estates of Naas.The tournament ran for two weeks everysummer with about 380 young footballers

taking part. Teams from Kill, Sallins,Johnstown, Two-mile House, Ballymore Eustaceand Caragh village entered the competition.During its five years, the tournament made agreat contribution to the community and alsoraised about €5,000 for Naas Care of theAged, Naas Elderly Building Project, Our Lady’sHospital for Sick Children and St. Luke’sHospital.

Louth/MeathDrogheda, Dundalk, Kells, Navan, Trim,Balbriggan and Ashbourne Garda Districts – InSeptember 2007, Garda Tony Gavigan attachedto Kells took part in the World Transplant andDialysis Games in Bangkok. Garda Gavigan,who has served with An Garda Síochána foralmost 30 years, received a kidney transplantafter becoming ill in 1996. He became involvedwith the Irish Kidney Association, athleticmembers of which can compete in National,European and World Transplant and DialysisGames. In the World Games in Thailand, Tony

competed in the golf and petanque (a Frenchgame similar to bowls). Although he foundplaying golf in the heat and humidity ‘like beingin a sauna’, and did not get ‘the rub of thegreen’ in the petanque, the Irish Team betweenthem brought home 39 medals. This was agreat achievement and the team was invited tomeet President Mary McAleese at Áras anUachtaráin on its return. Garda Gaviganremembers this day as a great occasion, andfeels privileged to have represented his country.

Longford/Westmeath.Mullingar, Athlone, Granard and LongfordGarda Districts – Athlone hosted the 2007TriAthlone – the first triathlon event inIreland to have over 1,000 participants. Theevent attracted thousands of spectators andrequired the implementation of major trafficmanagement plans. Close cooperationbetween the event organisers, An GardaSíochána, the Defence Forces, RoscommonCounty Council, Athlone Town Council and thelocal community ensured the smooth andsuccessful running of this major event.Athlone was awarded the 2010 EuropeanTriathlon Championships following apresentation to the European Triathlon Unionin Copenhagen during the year. This is thefirst time Ireland will host such an event andit will be the largest participation sport everheld in the midlands. In the meantime, twoelite races will be held in Athlone in 2008 dueto the success of the 2007 event and itsgrowing popularity.

Eastern Region

Sergeant Mark Doran with the PARKERS and Naas Celticwho took part in the Garda Soccer League

Garda Tony Gavigan at the World Transplant Gamesin Bangkok

Northern RegionNew Assistant CommissionerDerek Byrne was appointed AssistantCommissioner Northern Region in May 2007.He succeeded Assistant Commissioner MichaelMcCarthy. A native of Dublin, Derek Byrne hasserved with An Garda Síochána since 1979. Hepreviously worked in the Garda National DrugsUnit, the Garda National Immigration Bureauand Pearse Street Garda Station.

North West Rally

The largest sporting event ever held in theNorth West, Round 15 of the World RallyChampionship, took place from 15 to 18November 2007. The rally attracted over250,000 people throughout the weekend. Over500 gardaí played a crucial role in ensuring thesmooth running of the event.

Planning for the Garda operation began inMay 2007 when requests were made for thedeployment of personnel from the NationalSupport Service including the Garda AirSupport Unit, Garda Dog Unit, Garda Mounted

Unit, Garda National Drug Unit and theRegional Traffic Corps.

In August 2007, two gardaí attended theGerman Rally at Trier to observe the policingplans put in place for that event.

The rally stages were spread out overcounties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim andRoscommon. All gardaí within the Sligo/LeitrimDivision were deployed on 12 hour tours of duty.They were assisted by members from Donegal,Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Louth and Dublin.The rally crossed over the border on severaloccasions, and close cooperation with the PSNIensured the handovers went smoothly.

This was the first occasion that a stage ofthe World Rally Championship took place inIreland and it was a great success. Theexcellent policing of the rally was no doubt amajor factor in securing an additional stagingof the event. This has been confirmed for theNorth West for the weekend of 29 January 2009.

Sligo/Leitrim Sligo, Ballymote, Carrick-on-Shannon andManorhamilton Garda Districts –Manorhamilton District organised a Charity HillWalk from Glencar to Truskmore which raised€10,595 for the Special Olympics.

A Multi Cultural Soccer Tournament tookplace at the Aura Leisure Centre, Carrick-on-Shannon in April 2007. Detective SergeantDermot Flannery oversaw the planning andorganising of the event. The aim of thetournament was to help integrate the 21different nationalities living and working in theCarrick-on-Shannon area. 20 teams of mixednationality entered the tournament, and therewere about 400 spectators on the final day. Anawards ceremony took place afterwards at theBush Hotel. The local Superintendent presentedprizes and medals, and refreshments wereserved. This enjoyable ceremony was a fitting

end to the tournament, which succeeded inbringing together many different nationalitiesin a spirit of fun and cooperation.

Cavan/MonaghanMonaghan, Bailieboro, Ballyconnell,Carrickmacross and Cavan GardaDistricts – In accordance with An GardaSíochána Policing Plan 2007, severalinitiatives were launched in the divisionunder Strategic Goal 5 which focuses onethnic and cultural diversity. One of theseinitiatives was an award made to the EthnicLiaison Officer in Cavan, Garda SeamusHerron, in recognition of his work with theCavan Multi-Cultural Network and hiscommitment to the promotion of multi-cultural integration during the year. TheMayor of Cavan presented Garda Herron withthe award at a reception in Hosanna House,Cavan.

Ten gardaí from Cavan and Ballyconnellgarda districts completed a Polish languagecourse at the local VEC. Teaching staffdesigned the course specifically for gardamembers and delivered the module over 16weeks. The course gave the attendingmembers a basic level of Polish and hasgreatly assisted them in their interaction withthe large Polish community in Cavan.

The final stretch of the rally at Mullaghmore

Gardaí escort the rally

The official handover of the escort to the PSNI

Garda Seamus Herron, Ethnic Liaision Officer in Cavan,receives an award marking his contribution to multi-

cultural integration from the Lord Mayor of Cavan, DesCullen. Also Photographed is Pastor John Eniola.

Graduates from the Polish language course. L-r: Garda Darren Morgan, Garda Padraig Brennan, Sergeant David Coyle,Garda Paula Hough, Garda John O'Donoghue and Garda Mary Bushell Denning. Also included are Superintendent Majella

Ryan, Superintendent Gerry Giblin and Co. Cavan VEC Officials.

Hillwalkers from Manorhamilton District present theircheque to the Leitrim Special Olympics Committee



New Assistant CommissionerNoirín O’Sullivan was appointed AssistantCommissioner Western Region in August2007. She succeeded Assistant CommissionerGerry Kelly. A native of Dublin, Noirín O’Sullivanhas served with An Garda Síochána since1981. She previously worked in the TechnicalBureau, Human Resource Management and theGarda National Drugs Unit.

Galway WestGalway, Clifden, Gort, Loughrea and SalthillGarda Districts – In May 2007, membersfrom the Western Region took part in amotorbike ride along the famous Route 66in aid of UNICEF Ireland. Inspector DerekGannon attached to Mill Street Garda Stationcame up with the idea after travelling toAfrica in 2005 as a volunteer. All gardadivisions in the Western region becameinvolved in the fundraising for the event. Thegroup included 58 motorcyclists, 6 pillionpassengers, 8 support personnel, a medicalteam and a mechanic. The participantscovered over 2,700 miles of this historic routein nine days. €403,000 was raised and theevent was the biggest ever fundraiser forUNICEF since it was set up in 1962.

Roscommon/Galway EastRoscommon, Ballinasloe, Boyle, Castlerea andTuam Garda Districts – A number of personnelfrom the division took part in the Route 66Motorbike ride in aid of UNICEF in May 2007.Several fundraisers were held for the eventincluding a Family Fun Day at Roscommon

Racecourse. Although high winds preventedsome of the displays from taking place, theevent was a major success from a fundraisingand community relations perspective.

Mayo Castlebar, Ballina, Belmullet, Claremorris,Swinford and Westport Garda Districts – InFebruary 2007, a Road Safety Roadshow washeld at the Traveller’s Friend Hotel, Castlebar.This initiative, promoted by AXA Insurance inconjunction with An Garda Síochána and MayoCounty Council, was a great success with1,200 students attending. The roadshowincorporated real life experiences of seriousroad traffic collisions from members of AnGarda Síochána, the emergency services,medical personnel, victims and familymembers.

The number of personnel allocated to theDivisional Traffic Corps increased by oneSergeant and six gardaí.

Two fundraising events for the SpecialOlympics took place. On 8 May 2007, a groupof 20 people comprising gardaí, civilianpersonnel and friends took part in a climb ofCroagh Patrick and raised over €2,000. On 1September 2007, gardaí from Mayo held acharity cycle travelling through all majortowns in Co. Mayo. Over 30 gardaí took partand raised €27,000 through sponsorship andbucket-collecting en route. All funds from bothevents were donated to Irish participants inthe Special Olympics.

Westport won the overall Tidy Towns prizefor the second time in 2007. Members at

Westport Garda Station played their part inthis achievement by improving theappearance of the station, the yard andgarden areas. They greatly enhanced the

visual impact of the station by adding windowboxes and planting summer bedding andflowers.

Western Region

The 2007 Garda Public Attitudes Survey focusedon satisfaction with garda service, policingpriorities and experiences and fear of crime.

The survey is the sixth since 2002. Results inrespect of key indicators, such as satisfactionwith overall service, satisfaction with contactwith the gardaí, garda approachability andoverall performance at local level, have beenconsistent over the recent surveys despite theuse of different survey companies andmethodologies.

Satisfaction with overall garda service tothe community was 81%, compared with 79%in 2006.

Crime victimisation rates were similar toprevious years, with 9.8% saying they or amember of their household had been a victim ofa crime in 2006 (down by 0.3 of a percentagepoint compared with the 2006 report).

As regards crime reporting, 87% of thosevictimised said that they reported the mostrecent crime to the gardaí, a similar rate to the2006 survey (up by one percentage point).

4% of respondents requested an emergencygarda response in 2006. In 82% of cases theirphone call was answered within 10 seconds;higher than in 2006 and 2005. Response timewas within 15 minutes for 50% of respondents.70% expressed satisfaction with the servicereceived, identical to the 2006 survey.

Satisfaction with overall contact with the

gardaí was 80%, similar to the 2006 survey. Asked about garda approachability, 90% of

respondents described gardaí at their localstation as either very approachable orapproachable.

As regards garda visibility, 53% reportedseeing a Garda in their locality in the previousweek. The proportion who remembered seeing aGarda on the day of their interview was the sameas in 2006 (8%). 62% of respondents weresatisfied with the level of garda visibility in theirlocality.

Ratings for how good a job the gardaí do inthe locality were at 82%, up by two percentagepoints on 2006. Satisfaction rates were loweramong Local Authority tenants compared withother housing tenure categories. Ratings for howgood a job the gardaí do in the locality asregards road safety were at 76%, up by sixpercentage points on 2006.

Responses about the relationship betweenthe gardaí and the community showed, amongother things, high degrees of confidence thatanyone in garda custody would have their rightsfully respected, that the gardaí would help if aperson’s rights were being infringed, and thatthe gardaí carry out their role in a fair andimpartial manner. The majority surveyeddisagreed that ‘the gardaí discriminate againstimmigrants’.

Overall, 75% of respondents said that they

felt safe out walking, four percentage pointshigher than in the 2006 survey. Regarding fearof crime, 37% of respondents worried aboutbecoming a victim of crime themselves, while44% were worried about other family membersand friends becoming victims. These figuresrepresent improvements on the 2006 survey.

Just over a quarter of respondents (27%)

said they were in Neighbourhood Watch/

Community Alert schemes, down on previous

surveys. The activity levels of the schemes were

higher than was reported in the 2006, 2005

and 2002 surveys, with 19% of those in

schemes saying that they were regularly

informed about criminal activity in their area.

Some images from the motorbike ride along Route 66which raised over €400,000 for UNICEF

PUBLIC ATTITUDES SURVEY 2007


STATISTICS

2007

Category AMissing persons considered atserious risk to themselves or

others

Category BPersons who have gone

missing of their own volitionand are assumed not to be atserious risk to themselves or

others

Category CMissing persons where there is

no apparent danger to themissing person or the public;

they are over 18 years and mayhave decided to start a new life

Total

Reports Untraced Reports Untraced Reports Untraced Reports UntracedEASTERN REGION 466 1 208 2 251 3 925 6Carlow/Kildare 109 1 62 0 83 0 254 1Laois/Offaly 63 0 22 0 26 1 111 1Longford/Westmeath 66 0 60 0 50 0 176 0Louth/Meath 228 0 64 2 92 2 384 4DUBLIN MET. REGION 2,191 33 853 10 706 19 3,750 62East 394 0 59 0 67 0 520 0North Central 184 5 423 8 185 5 792 18North 954 4 151 0 141 2 1246 6South Central 137 21 82 1 158 10 377 32South 251 0 76 0 78 2 405 2West 271 3 62 1 77 0 410 4NORTHERN REGION 329 2 159 1 194 0 682 3Cavan/Monaghan 90 0 62 0 96 0 248 0Donegal 168 1 81 1 77 0 326 2Sligo/Leitrim 71 1 16 0 21 0 108 1SOUTH EASTERN REGION 538 7 184 0 186 1 908 8Tipperary 120 0 77 0 38 0 235 0Waterford/Kilkenny 254 1 83 0 109 1 446 2Wexford/Wicklow 164 6 24 0 39 0 227 6SOUTHERN REGION 524 7 248 1 273 6 1,045 14Cork City 211 2 157 0 98 1 466 3Cork North 97 1 32 0 26 1 155 2Cork West 30 0 15 0 15 0 60 0Kerry 45 1 10 0 27 2 82 3Limerick 141 3 34 1 107 2 282 6WESTERN REGION 466 1 106 3 110 1 682 5Clare 36 1 15 0 13 0 64 1Galway West 326 0 44 3 59 0 429 3Mayo 47 0 14 0 20 1 81 1Roscommon/Galway East 57 0 33 0 18 0 108 0Total 4,514 51 1,758 17 1,720 30 7,992 98

Offence Type 2007Murder 78Manslaughter 6Rape of a female 283Rape section 4 70Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2006 52Aggravated sexual assault 17Sexual assault 774False imprisonment 73Abduction 35Assault causing harm 3,832Theft from person 2,950Theft from MPV 14,709Theft from shop 18,859Theft of a pedal cycle 165Theft (other) 20,295Burglary 22,939Aggravated burglary 252Robbery of an establishment or institution 812Robbery of cash or goods in transit 20Robbery from the person 1,258Arson 1,998Possession of drugs for sale or supply 3,620Possession of firearms 431Discharging a firearm 327Other headline offences 11,091Total 104,946

Missing Person Reports

Firearms & Explosives

Headline OffencesReported to Gardaí

The total number of headline crimes recorded in2007 and published by the Central StatisticsOffice was 104,946. This was an increase of 2%over the 103,177 headline crimes recorded in2006. The overall detection rate of 41% ofheadline crime in 2007 is an increase of 1% overthe 2006 figure. All of the six manslaughteroffences and 67% of the murder offences weredetected at the end of 2007. Robbery offencesdecreased by 12% with the highest decrease of26% recorded for Robbery fromestablishment/institution offences. Theft fromPerson and Assault Causing Harm offencesdecreased by 18% and 4% respectively whileRape (of female & Section 4) and Sexual Assaultoffences have also shown a decrease of 7% and14% respectively. For a more detailed breakdownof figures please go to www.cso.ie

There were 7,992 reports for the year 2007 which was an increase of 17% on the 2006 reports of 6,811. There were 98 persons untraced at year’s end 2007 which was a decrease of 10% compared to 2006.

Firearms and Explosives seized by Gardaí in 2007

FirearmsShotguns 206

Machine Guns 10

Rifles 59

Revolvers 28

Pistols/Airguns 293

Stun Guns 49

Crossbows 23

CS/CN Gas 6

Pen Guns 1

Replicas 73

Paintball Guns 4

Spear Guns 0

Silencers 7

Sights 8

Magazines 29

Humane Killers 1

Starting Pistols/Revolvers 83

Muskets 6

Total 886

Explosives and ComponentsHand Grenades 4

Improvised Explosive Devices 9

Pipe Bombs 9

Hoax Devices 9

Explosives 0

Smoke Grenades 0

Petrol Bombs 0

Fireworks 9

Component Parts 5

Public OrderIn 2007, gardaí continued to work closely with community andstatutory groups and elected representatives to identify and targetlocal public order ‘hot-spots’. 19 closure orders were applied fornationally for businesses identified as contributors to publicdisorder and anti-social behaviour. Throughout the year, gardaícontinued to proactively enforce the law relating to underagedrinking and substance abuse in both public places and licensedpremises. 179 prosecutions of licensed holders were commenced forallowing drunkenness on the premises. 86 prosecutions wereinitiated for sale and/or supply of alcohol to underage persons.

Child behaviour warnings and good behaviour contractscame into effect on 1 March 2007. A behaviour warning may beissued by a Garda to a person over 12 years of age if the person hasbehaved in an anti-social manner. A warning advises the personthat he or she has behaved in an anti-social manner and must stopthe behaviour. It can be given verbally or in writing. Good behaviourcontracts apply to children only and can arise where theSuperintendent in charge of the district convenes a meeting todiscuss the child’s behaviour on foot of a report from a member ofAn Garda Síochána. Behaviour orders (children) and civil orders(adults) are applied for by a Garda Superintendent before the Court.The maximum duration of these orders is two years.

Behaviour warnings, good behaviour contracts and ordersissued or applied for in 2007

Behaviour warnings issued (adult) 445

Behaviour warnings issued (child) 131

Good behaviour contracts issued 4

Behaviour orders applied for 2

Civil orders applied for 1

Strategic GoalTo significantly reduce the incidence of public

disorder and anti-social behaviour in ourcommunities

Documents

The Mission of An Garda Síochána is to 2007 · Annual Report of An Garda Síochána 3 FIGHTING CRIME DRUG Quantity Cases Cannabis 725,222 grams 1,324 Cannabis resin 1,167,285 grams