Garda superintendents to highlight 'weakened community links' at conference

"Introduced in 2019, the Operating Policing Model has undergone a restructuring at regional and divisional levels, with the ambition having been to improve policing according to the needs of each local community. However, it is deeply unpopular among virtually all garda ranks. AGS president, Detective Superintendent Colm Murphy, is expected to tell Mr O'Callaghan that many superintendents have been forced to "double job"."

"Mr Murphy said: "While structures and processes have changes, resourcing has not." He added that this is particularly evident in the area of road policing where inspectors are not now reporting directly to superintendents, who are being "bypassed" in the new system. The superintendents say there are "structural flaws" in the supervisory structure in roads policing with inspectors reporting directly to divisional chief superintendents, thereby bypassing the superintendent rank."

"The inspectors previously reported to regional traffic superintendents before the system was changed. Garda superintendents say that they are not opposed to change, but that the changes need to be properly resourced and sustainable. "Otherwise it risks both our people and the communities we serve," Mr Murphy is expected to say. Previously the number of superintendents in the organisation was 191 and the association believes more superintendents are "urgently required" to deal with the challenges of modern policing."

Introduced in 2019, the Operating Policing Model underwent restructuring at regional and divisional levels aiming to tailor policing to local community needs. The model remains deeply unpopular across virtually all garda ranks. Many superintendents report being required to 'double job' as structures and processes change without corresponding resourcing. Inspectors in road policing now report directly to divisional chief superintendents, bypassing superintendents, creating structural flaws in supervision. The inspectors previously reported to regional traffic superintendents before the change. The organisation previously had 191 superintendents and the association says more are urgently required as management struggles to fill posts quickly when officers retire.

Read at Irish Independent