Probationer gardaí enjoy the beat as new era of policing begins in Cork city

Last month saw the allocation to Cork city of 36 new “probationer” gardaí — graduates from the Templemore Garda Training College who have yet to pass their two-year probation period — as well as 12 serving gardaí transferring from other garda divisions.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin hailed the news, saying it was the largest single allocation of gardaí in at least 25 years.

The arrival of Cork’s newest gardaí coincided with Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly’s announcement that Cork would be the second city to benefit from the new Garda high visibility policing model, which had been successfully piloted in Dublin over the past year.

Mr Martin and other Cork politicians, in Dublin every week, had for months been hailing the obvious difference that extra gardaí on the beat were making on the capital’s streets.

Given the visible results of the new policy in Dublin, there should be little surprise that the arrival of an additional 48 gardaí Leeside has received almost universal acclaim.

On a damp morning on Patrick Street, Garda Siobhán Moynihan, a Killarney native enjoying her second day on the beat, told The Echo she had been given a great welcome so far.

“There have so many people saying it’s great to see us, they’re very welcoming, and they seem to be very happy about it, so it seems to be working,” she said.

“I would know the shopping streets of Cork relatively well, but it’s great being on the beat, I’m getting to know all the little nooks and crannies, I’m learning the streets.

“So far so good. I’m loving it.”

In the meeting room on the top floor of An Garda Síochána’s Cork city divisional headquarters, Superintendent John Deasy said it was a very positive time in Anglesea St.

“We welcomed 36 new Garda probationers into Cork city recently, they were met by the Chief Superintendent, the Assistant Commissioner, myself, and other members, we introduced ourselves to them, and we encouraged them in relation to what we hope they are going to achieve,” he said.

“We are rolling out a high visibility policing plan in Cork city centre and the 36 probationers, as well as 12 Garda members that are transferring into Cork City Division, and the resources that we have already will be working on this plan.

“The concept is to provide reassurance and confidence to members of the public who live, work, study, socialise, and visit Cork city.”

He admitted with a smile that the new arrivals had been sent out on a miserable December morning, the reasoning being that it was the only way they would learn their trade.

“They won’t be long learning to wrap up well,” he said, a claim backed up later by one of the older gardaí transferred to city and sheltering from the rain, who joked: “A good guard never gets wet”.

In Daunt Square, Garda Bill O’Riordan, a Lombardstown native, said people had been very decent to him since he arrived in the city.

“They’re coming up saying they’re happy to see us, and we’re well needed, and we’re helping already.

“The manager of loss prevention in [a large city centre retailer] came up to me about 20 minutes ago to say it’s lovely to see us,” he said. “We finished up in Templemore last Friday week, I had a week off before I started, and I’m delighted to be walking around meeting people. It’s great so far.”

Outside Brown Thomas and a few

hours into her first day on the job, Garda Emer Hayes from Thurles confessed she found it “a bit daunting” coming in but said she “could not have been welcomed more”.

“We’re on the beat for four hours, so it’s great to get out and speak to members of the community and get to know some of the businesses.

“I think it’s a great idea, because it forces you to get out and get to know the people you’ll be working with, and they’re so nice,” Garda Hayes said. “People are coming up to you thanking you and you’re like ‘I haven’t done anything yet’, but it’s just lovely, and the lads in the station have been really sound as well, and so welcoming.”

Superintendent Deasy agreed that the feedback from the public has been very positive since the new high-vis yellow and blue uniforms began appearing in markedly greater numbers in the city centre.

“What we’re trying to achieve is to have a visibility in the key areas of the city where footfall is greatest, areas where we received negative reports from stakeholders, areas where maybe there’s street crime, anti-social behaviour, and drug activity reported.

“The idea is to have that visibility there during the critical times to deter all those activities, and to reassure the public that Cork city, which is a great city and which we are all very proud of, is a safe city, and it’s a city that you can travel through without interactions with people that you’d not want to interact with.”

Over at the traffic lights on Singer’s Corner, Garda Donnie Brennan, from Laois, said it was his first on-duty time Leeside, and he was finding people very nice so far, with a few people coming up to the Garda car he had been in earlier.

“Some more elderly people are delighted to see guards out and about, their presence being felt,” he said. “It helps, you know? That feeling that you’re making a difference.”

Asked if making a difference was why he joined An Garda Síochána, he replied: “Oh yeah. Definitely.”