Cork garda unit amalgamations the result of Drew Harris' operational policing model, GRA president says

The recent amalgamation of garda unit areas such as Douglas and Carrigaline, and Bishopstown and Ballincollig, is a direct result of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris’s operational policing model (OPM), which has been “an unmitigated disaster”, the president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said.

The GRA, which represents almost 13,000 frontline gardaí, is holding its annual conference in Killarney this week.

Responding to a question from The Echo, Mark O’Meara, the GRA’s president, said the introduction of Mr Harris’s OPM last year had been sold with a promise that there would be an accompanying increase in resources.

“That hasn’t happened, and that’s why we say it’s been an unmitigated disaster,” Mr O’Meara said.

The OPM resulted in the amalgamation of garda districts, the GRA has said, and the withdrawing of resources from community policing and rural areas.

The idea that gardaí could interchangeably work across districts meant a loss of specialised local knowledge, and a sense of insecurity in local areas, Mr O’Meara added.

“You start enlarging a division, and you start pooling resources; for example, Tipperary Division, goes from Mooncoin [in Co Kilkenny] across to the west coast of Ireland, Clare, that’s a two-and-a-half, three-hour commute for any patrol car, and it may not happen every night, it may not happen every week, but the reality is it certainly will happen,” he said.

“That’s been a problem where, in places like Cork and other places, the OPM is in place, and even outside of the areas of the OPM, we see from the general public that they are concerned that there is not a visible garda presence on the streets, and we believe that under no set of circumstances will the OPM increase that presence.” 

Describing the OPM as “unfit for purpose”, Mr O’Meara said it left gardaí tied up in desk work and red tape when they wanted to out on the streets.

“And this is at a time of a recruitment and retention crisis, with our rank still hovering around the 14,000 mark, which has remained static for over a decade. In this time, our population has increased by more than 15% and we simply do not have the resources to match this.” 

One of the motions before this year’s conference calls on Mr Harris and justice minister Jim O’Callaghan to conduct an “immediate review” of the OPM and publish its findings.

Another motion will call on the Government to introduce a scheme to assist gardaí to purchase homes.

Under the proposal, a frontline garda would be provided by the State with a percentage of the purchase price of a home, and the State would continue to own a share of the property until the garda completed an agreed term of service.

At this point the State’s share of the property would then to the garda.

Other motions call for training in emergency pursuits, and for training in the deployment of a stronger form of pepper spray.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘It was a job worth doing – undervalued and under attack’, a retort to the garda recruitment campaign slogan ‘A job worth doing’.

For the second year, the GRA has not invited Mr Harris to address the conference, and, as a result, Mr O’Callaghan has declined an invitation to attend.