What's your opinion on undecover gardaÃ* at music festivals?

sashafierce

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paulbok

So not everyone enjoyed War on Drugs this weekend?

MakkaaPakkaa

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Probably drive them to cultivation.
Well done.

endacl

enricoh wrote: »

Shooting fish in a barrell, just like speed vans in a 50kph zone. But hey they can say busts are up 5% or whatever - n that's all that matters

Well, busts would be up 5%. Nothing wrong with shooting fish in a barrel if that's where the fish congregate.

Effects

wakka12 wrote: »

Are we going to try and paint drug dealers as victims in this now

sashafierce wrote: »

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I think the issue is more that Gardai often just go after the end user at a festival rather than the dealer. I've seen a number of people busted by Gardai at festivals and it's usually the quiet ones not bothering anyone that they go for as it's easier.
Busting one person rolling a joint does nothing to stop any so called national drug problem that there is.
I've only once seen a relatively big dealer get done and that was at Oxegen a few years back when about 6 Gardai swooped on a guy who had about a hundred pills.

Effects

endacl wrote: »

Well, busts would be up 5%. Nothing wrong with shooting fish in a barrel if that's where the fish congregate.

It does nothing to solve the problem. It's just massaging the crime stats. If you think that's a good thing then you're an idiot.

endacl

Effects wrote: »

It does nothing to solve the problem. It's just massaging the crime stats. If you think that's a good thing then you're an idiot.

No. If you call somebody an idiot for stating a fact, then you're an idiot.

I didn't indicate whether or not I think it's a good idea.

If this is something that happens, it strikes me as an absolute joke. I thought the Gardai were terribly under-resourced and couldn't protect rural communities anymore? And they are off busting people rolling a joint at EP? That can't be true.

What nonsense this is anyway, surely anyone with half a brain is aware that the whole dance tent (no idea what they call it anymore) is packed with people off their tits. The whole event is set up for them, what total hypocrisy to act shocked that people might take pills when you put on an event with DJs from around the world playing techno for 8 hours straight.

If we really thought that a few young folk taking drugs was the end of the world the ACTUAL way to make some sort of difference would be to refuse a license to any festival that intends to play anything other than indie-folk. Although you'd still have the weed I suppose.

sbsquarepants

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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You're right Fred. If only they'd thought of it sooner there'd be no drug problem now. At least we can rest assured that next year or the year after it'll all be sorted!

padd b1975

Good old-fashioned police work is always good to see as far as I'm concerned.

The amount of posters of the opinion that illegal drug taking/dealing is somehow not worthy of investigation is staggering.

Effects

endacl wrote: »

No. If you call somebody an idiot for stating a fact, then you're an idiot.
I didn't indicate whether or not I think it's a good idea.

I'll say it again as you didn't understand the first time. If you think massaging crime stats is a good idea, by going after soft targets that do not solve the problem, then you are an idiot.

Conor Bourke

Turtyturd wrote: »

Can they truly be undercover?

Despite being in plain clothes you can usually still spot them a mile away.

Standing in pairs, wearing boots, jeans and their local club GAA jacket and focussing intently on the people around them rather than paying any attention to the actual music on stage.

Easy enough to avoid, particularly at dance gigs

Effects

padd b1975 wrote: »

Good old-fashioned police work is always good to see as far as I'm concerned.
The amount of posters of the opinion that illegal drug taking/dealing is somehow not worthy of investigation is staggering.

Investigating small time personal drug users rather than having to make more of an effort to tackle larger drug dealers is the better option in your book?

Effects

Alaskimo-cake wrote: »

Despite being in plain clothes you can usually still spot them a mile away.

Standing in pairs, wearing boots, jeans and their local club GAA jacket and focussing intently on the people around them rather than paying any attention to the actual music on stage.

Easy enough to avoid, particularly at dance gigs

You're totally wrong if you think that's always the case. I've seen plenty that you couldn't tell they were Gardai until after they had moved on someone.

Conor Bourke

Effects wrote: »

You're totally wrong if you think that's always the case. I've seen plenty that you couldn't tell they were Gardai until after they had moved on someone.

Thankfully I've never had reason to draw their attention so I suppose I'm lucky not to have seen the ones in better "disguise" but have seen plenty as I described at gigs over the years.

padd b1975

Effects wrote: »

Investigating small time personal drug users rather than having to make more of an effort to tackle larger drug dealers is the better option in your book?

What exactly is a personal drug user??

These small time festival stoners are the very people that made the likes of John Gilligan into a multi millionaire.

The fact that they are too thick to realise this without having to endure a day in front of a judge is just too bad.

Dyr

seamus wrote: »

The Gardai at these things have no interest in speaking to someone out of their heads. They're looking for distributors.

They go around looking like junkies, wait for someone to offer to sell them pills and then arrest them. No entrapment there.

My arse, at fezzies they're looking for handy collars to fill out the stats.

batistuta9

seamus wrote: »

Entrapment is when you encourage someone to commit a crime that they weren't going to commit and then arrest them for it.

The Gardai at these things have no interest in speaking to someone out of their heads. They're looking for distributors.

They go around looking like junkies, wait for someone to offer to sell them pills and then arrest them. No entrapment there.

you & everyone who thanked this haven't a clue tbh

toptom

padd b1975 wrote: »

What exactly is a personal drug user??

These small time festival stoners are the very people that made the likes of John Gilligan into a multi millionaire.

The fact that they are too thick to realise this without having to endure a day in front of a judge is just too bad.

True True The festivals should be closed down once anyone is caught with drugs.
Its only an excuse to take drugs sure no need for big noisy festivals anyway sure people can listen to music in a pub or at home. large gatherings only invite drugs

padd b1975

padd b1975 wrote: »

What exactly is a personal drug user??

These small time festival stoners are the very people that made the likes of John Gilligan into a multi millionaire.

The fact that they are too thick to realise this without having to endure a day in front of a judge is just too bad.

No, what made John Gilligan into a millionaire was the fact that a drug like cannabis is illegal and thus thugs and lowlifes could make a lot of money selling it to people. It really isn't confusing.

Of course what has also - allegedly - made many other drug dealers millionaires is the ability of AGS to look the other way when necessary.

'Good old-fashioned police work' as they say.

diomed

Totally out of order.
They show wander around in full uniform with a flashing blue light on top of their head.

Potential-Monke

So what people are saying is that there should be no Gardai undercover at any large festivals where illegal drug use is guaranteed to happen? Just to clarify.

Also, if you think that the Gardaí don't target dealers, then you're so wrong. It just takes longer and requires surveillance.

MarkY91

bodice ripper wrote: »

Watched an undercover step around a group of 40 something nordies doing coke to bust a teenager with a tic tac sized piece of hash. Scum.

The gards shouldnt be available for private hire.

No you didn't.

Tragamin2k2

Potential-Monke wrote: »

So what people are saying is that there should be no Gardai undercover at any large festivals where illegal drug use is guaranteed to happen? Just to clarify.

there should be. but giving someone a criminal record for smoking a joint in their tent is a bit much.

Potential-Monke

Tragamin2k2 wrote: »

there should be. but giving someone a criminal record for smoking a joint in their tent is a bit much.

I agree, cannabis should be decriminalised. But, it's still currently illegal to have or smoke. I'm just trying to point out that it's still illegal, and it's part of a Gardas job to catch people with it. Festivals are, as everyone said, easy targets, but those wishing to smoke it should know this and be a bit more careful about it, and not think that they can whip out a joint and smoke it whenever they want. It's shooting fish in a barrel, because the people are making it that way.

Badly Drunk Boy

My main problem with undercover Gardaí at festivals is the smug punters (whether they use illegal drugs or not) thinking that they can spot them a mile off. I've been to all 12 Electric Picnics and there was only one year that I wasn't accused of being an undercover cop (although that year, 2 different people assumed I was security). It has happening at other festivals too.

Yeah, I'm tall and I wear black clothes. "COP!!!" they shout, accusingly.

:mad:

BMMachine

seamus wrote: »

Entrapment is when you encourage someone to commit a crime that they weren't going to commit and then arrest them for it.

The Gardai at these things have no interest in speaking to someone out of their heads. They're looking for distributors.

They go around looking like junkies, wait for someone to offer to sell them pills and then arrest them. No entrapment there.

OR, theres the truth which is they wander around campsites looking for people smoking joints (ooohhh that evil marijuana... the 2 litres of vodka you are mixing with red bull is grand though) and then confiscate the weed and sometimes prosecute the person that has it.
Seen it happen to mates 3 times, heard of it happening to other people upteen times.

Operation fish in a barrell, well done the Garda.

I have no issue with them going after lads dealing pills, coke and other quite dangerous stuff - the people taking them know the risks, but going after people smoking a joint at a festival is just lazy and bullsh*t.



oh and because this is after hours, some absolute genius will tell me how weed is illegal and bla bla bla. Yeah, I know. Its also perfectly grand as long as you dont take the piss with it and far far far far far far far far far less dangerous than alcohol. Get the stick out of your ass and join the real world