Columnist: An Garda Siochana - the custodians of peace and safety

Above: Columnist Peg Hanafin.

The below letter needs to be put into the public domain as a stark reminder of the job that our Gardai do. Our Gardai, in recent years have come under attack for their many discrepancies and failures to keep proper records and live with integrity and honesty. But is that the full story, or just what we might like to believe?

Just like in every walk of life, we have those who flaunt their power and impact negatively on other people’s lives. But they are always a very small minority and then everybody is painted with the one brush.

We all depend on law and order to live peaceful lives and be safe in our homes and on the road. But do we ever pause to think of the difficulties these men and women face every hour that they are on duty?

For the most part they are dealing with people who continually break the law to the detriment of others. They must face down criminals who have no respect for man or law, at the higher end of the scale. Every day they must try and control addicts and those addicted to drink and drugs that are often abusive, reckless, and violent, both to them and to the public at large. They patrol dangerous places and risk their own safety to ensure that citizens can live in peace, without having to live with the terror of home breakers, stealing of property or damaging their belongings.

Many of our Gardai have become disillusioned with some of the negatives that they also listen to for the first time, on the airwaves and in print. While no one could condone lack of truthfulness or respect, like every other person, they are entitled to have their good name protected and their integrity kept intact.

I asked the writer of this letter for permission to print it. It tells its own sad story, but at what cost to the lives and happiness of those trying to protect people from themselves, and in that process protect all law abiding citizens. The scars must surely remain when their dignity and their position of care are called into question, and being inflicted on innocent men and women when they are high on drugs and not even responsible for the gravity of their actions.

They will have forgotten, but the Garda must go home to his/her family with their self esteem and confidence bruised. So I think it is time to reflect on the support, dignity and respect for the Garda force that we give on an on-going basis. Those in positions of power have left a detrimental legacy to the ordinary hardworking peacekeeper, that they cannot be held responsible for.

These men of peace work with equipment not fit for purpose, antiquated and outdated, and are expected to keep up with the technology that those in the crime business have at their hands. Is it too much to ask our Government to modernise our Garda force in keeping with the times we live in to secure the safety of those who risk their own lives every day to allow for peace to reign?

Dear Police Service,

This letter comes to you today as a means of an apology. My name is ------ and in the past, I have been known to your custody suite police staff. I understand that receiving letters of apologies are something that are few and far between, yet sadly should be done more often.

I have been in recovery from drugs and drink for a little over three years now, and as part of the process I engage with the fellowship of AA. Within this fellowship we practise the 12-step recovery programme. The principles and traditions are how I live my life today, honest, open minded and willing.

Steps 4,5 & 6 are steps where you make a list of all those that we have harmed, when living with the madness and out of control of addiction, step 5 is where we share them with another, step 6 is when we turn our will and our life over to the hands of God and become willing to make amends to all those that we harmed.

Gratefully I can now say some three years into my recovery process, I have now came to that place, step 9 of the 12 steps, and is where we commence to work the amends list, by ways of apologises to those who have endured violence at our hands.

I did call to the station some time ago to see whether it was possible to do a face to face amends, yet I understand that your time is very precious and this may take time, where better spent elsewhere. So, the gentleman that I spoke to said a letter would be much appreciated.

As with many addicts, I was a thief, and was arrested many times for theft, as well as other offensives. At times when at your custody suite, both at the old station in town, my behaviours where to say the least, very much not acceptable. I was very impolite and angry to some members of your team, and I would also be very uncooperative and even violent.

I would like to offer a sincere apology to all the custody team and the various members of the police force for my behaviour. This behaviour was very much uncalled for. I know today that these behaviours were the disease of addiction and not the person I am. I know today that I am no longer that person and try my best each day to be a good person to society. I live an honest life today, where I no longer will be a burden to the police force. God willing a day at a time.

I would also like to say thank you for all the demanding work that your team does in supporting keeping my home town a safe place to live as well as us addicts.

Your services are an important part of how others can enjoy life, and I understand the value and the trauma of your work today. That without your services the streets of towns and cities everywhere would be undesirable.

Many thanks for all that you do, in spite of enormous difficulties that includes anger, rage and insults, always uncalled for.

Kind regards

.............................................

Peg Hanafin, MSc.

Author of Getting More Out of Life, Thoughts for Your Journey, Never Give Up, and I Wish I Had Known.

Pictured left; A day of joy at a Garda graduation in Templemore.