Garda Rank

ChewyLewey

Wonder if anyone can help me here. I've had a little browse on Wikipedia but that don't go into too much detail...

I'm writing a story in which a detective is reassigned to a different post after an interdepartmental clash. Who would it be that would make this decision and have the power to reassign a garda? The Superintendent? Chief Superintendent? Commisioner?

If anyone has any idea, thanks in advance

ieoinu

ChewyLewey wrote: »

Wonder if anyone can help me here. I've had a little browse on Wikipedia but that don't go into too much detail...

I'm writing a story in which a detective is reassigned to a different post after an interdepartmental clash. Who would it be that would make this decision and have the power to reassign a garda? The Superintendent? Chief Superintendent? Commisioner?

If anyone has any idea, thanks in advance

Realistically it'd be his Chief but the Supt would have a say. Being made detective isn't a promotion it is what is called an appointment. If you become appointed you remain at the same rank but have Detective put in front of it. He'd remain at the same rank but would lose his 'appointment' i.e. the Detective and would return to uniform or 'regular' duties.

ChewyLewey

ieoinu wrote: »

Realistically it'd be his Chief but the Supt would have a say. Being made detective isn't a promotion it is what is called an appointment. If you become appointed you remain at the same rank but have Detective put in front of it. He'd remain at the same rank but would lose his 'appointment' i.e. the Detective and would return to uniform or 'regular' duties.

Cheers mate

ChewyLewey

ieoinu wrote: »

Realistically it'd be his Chief but the Supt would have a say. Being made detective isn't a promotion it is what is called an appointment. If you become appointed you remain at the same rank but have Detective put in front of it. He'd remain at the same rank but would lose his 'appointment' i.e. the Detective and would return to uniform or 'regular' duties.

Hey

When you talk about this 'appointment' and how it does not effect rank, would this be the same thing with the Special Units in the Gardai (for example The National Drugs Unit or The Organised Crime Unit)? For example, would the members of these units for the most part just have the ordinary rank of garda or maybe sergeant and their position in these units be extra appointments?

Cheers

ieoinu

ChewyLewey wrote: »

Hey

When you talk about this 'appointment' and how it does not effect rank, would this be the same thing with the Special Units in the Gardai (for example The National Drugs Unit or The Organised Crime Unit)? For example, would the members of these units for the most part just have the ordinary rank of garda or maybe sergeant and their position in these units be extra appointments?

Cheers

Rank structure is Garda, Sergeant, Inspector, Supt, Chief Supt, Ass. Comm, Deputy Comm and Commissioner. That is the route of promotion within the force. If you are a Garda and you apply for a vacancy that is an appointment and get it you become a Detective Garda, you are still of the same rank but are appointed to a specific area of criminal investigation. If you pass the promotion exam and interviews and are successfully promoted you will become a Sergeant and lose your appointment and revert to uniform/regular duties. A uniform Garda and a Detective Garda are of the same rank. A uniform Sergeant is a rank above a Detective Garda.

Detective Gardaí would probably be given more responsibility in investigations and their opinion hold more sway than maybe a uniformed Garda, but this would be down to experience/ability not rank as they are technically of the same rank and pay.

You would also lose your appointment should you transfer stations as the appointments are allocated to stations and are limited in number only being filled upon vacancies arising.

The main difference between them is that uniform policing covers everything but is unable to concentrate on one particular area of policing due to the extremely varied nature of the day to day work and having no control over their workload. They deal with road traffic, domestics, public order, drugs and a lot of their workload can be dictated by calls. They are normally the first to respond to an incident/attend the scene. Depending on the nature of the incident may not investigate it i.e. in the cases of murder/rape/serious assaults etc.

For the more serious criminal investigations Detective Gardaí are assigned to investigate as they are able to concentrate more closely on one particular investigation whether it be a murder or proactively targeting a crime/drugs gang. Paperwork forms a major part of this type of policing and investigation files can be very substantial.

The 'promoted to Detective' thing is American , most people believe it's the same here from tv.

With the larger units such as GNDU, NBCI, GNIB, OCU etc all members i.e. Gardaí, Sergeants, Inspectors etc would be appointed up to and including Chief Supt. Most Districts would have a D/Sgt and a few D/Gdaí, each division would have a D/Insp and Region a D/Supt.

ChewyLewey

Incredibly detailed and helpful. Thanks again.