There’s been a bit of fuss over the code of ethics for An Garda Siochana that was introduced by the Policing Authority. It was designed to inform and guide the actions of every garda on what is expected of them as police officers.
It reinforces the need for honesty and integrity, respect and equality, transparency and communication and a duty to speak up and report wrongdoing whenever they encounter it.
In the aftermath of the various controversies in An Garda Siochana, the Government instructed the Policing Authority to come up with guidelines and the code of ethics is the result. Josephine Feehily, the Policing Authority’s chairwoman, said it was vitally important that active steps were taken to ensure the code was embedded into the day-to-day work of gardaí.
My understanding is that gardai of all ranks are to receive training in the new code and are then required to sign up to it, but so far, the uptake by gardai in signing it, has been slow.
The Garda Representative Association doesn’t like it and complains that too much training and money is being spent on it when there is an urgent need for firearms training, driving courses and instruction on all the new pieces of legislation. I’m inclined to agree with them.
I have been retired for the last four years so I’m not in the loop anymore, but I’m not convinced that spending all this time, money and effort on developing a code of ethics is going to make much of a difference to way the men and women in blue, carry out their duty. Just because they sign a piece of paper saying that they have read the code is not going to guarantee the perfect police officer.
If someone is inherently dishonest, racist, corrupt, homophobic, or simply mad, then agreeing to abide by certain ethical standards is not going to cure them. I’m sure they won’t be deterred from taking part in wayward activities, if they are already that way inclined, simply because they’ve signed the dotted line, promising to be good.
In my day, we received instruction during our training in the Garda College on what was acceptable behaviour and what wasn’t. We continued to receive regular in-service training throughout our service after that, but as soon as the crash came, that aspect of training was one of the first casualties.
To the best of my knowledge, most of the guys in my class turned out fine. I met a few bad apples along the way during my 35 years, but the percentage was small, and I can’t imagine that forcing the current members to sign a code of ethics is going to improve the odds that much. The GRA has suggested that this is nothing but window dressing, and I suspect they’re right.
Drew Harris, the garda commissioner, has directed that those who decline to sign will be ineligible for promotion but issuing threats to members isn’t going to work either, particularly as many members would suggest that the promotion system itself is flawed.
There has always been a perception that favouritism and nepotism flourish within the organisation and this has long since been a serious bone of contention.
An editorial in the Garda Review advocated for an independent authority to separate policing from politics. Not to deny our elected political leaders the opportunity to debate and the right to legislate on policing, but so that they were not seen to exert undue influence on appointments and operational matters.
It called for a level playing field for all and a meritocracy based on individual competency and skills, rather than personal connection. Sadly, we have repeated our concerns that nepotism and ‘pull’ are alive and well, despite the buzzwords of ‘accountability’, ‘transparency’ and ‘independence’ that speckle every statement and paid lip service in every round of competition.
The editorial further stated that this culture is near impossible to pin down and provide evidence for but equally, it is hard to refute. We still believe that an open, independent transparent process to establish and appoint the most capable candidates would signal a departure from the perceived cronyism of the past in the promotion system
I remember when lists of those who were “successful in the competition for promotion” were published, there were always nods, winks and heavy sighs when certain names appeared. Many of the “successful candidates” could have been predicted in advance of any list, based on family or political connections.
Patrick Horan, an ex-garda turned solicitor, wrote in the Irish Examiner a couple of years ago that methods of promotion have sullied the honour of the force and suggested that it has always been a truism that progression within the force was dependent on two factors: Patronage and “team spirit”.
He maintained that everyone knew that when a job became vacant it wasn’t really vacant, for it was already destined for some favourite candidate somewhere, a candidate who had shown the requisite degree of slavish obedience and an unthinking determination to follow orders without question.
The dilemma then was to go through with the façade of the promotion process when the chosen ones were already known or not to bother with it and then be accused of not showing enough interest in advancement. The good old Catch 22.
Politics has always played a part in the promotion and movement of members of An Garda Siochana. I remember back in the eighties, I was advised by an old hand, to be careful when dealing with politicians, or anyone connected to them, or I could find myself on Achill Island counting sheep.
I’m all in favour of providing instruction and training for all ranks regarding standards of behaviour, but simply signing a piece of paper won’t make a blind bit of difference.