Extra garda presence on the road

mark085

Have you noticed this?I think it's because they faked the 900k breathalyser tests now they actually have to do a bit of work but what have they been doing all this time? Now that their only really doing their job now

lmimmfn

Yep, noticed this, driving new mondeos and SUVs

homerjay2005

yep, i didnt see a garda checkpoint for 10 years in our area, theres been 4 in the last 4 sundays. defo an added presence.

mark085

lmimmfn wrote: »

Yep, noticed this, driving new mondeos and SUVs

I got stopped for the first time in 4 years last week seem to be driving Hyundai's out my way

diomed

Do they all still get the bicycle allowance?

RayM

My locality has been crawling with filth lately. I notice they seem to be stopping a lot of vans at checkpoints. I usually just get waved through.

Little CuChulainn

I'd say it has more to do with the upcoming visit of a British Royal than bogey breathalyser numbers.

Discodog

6 checkpoints around Galway in one hour about 5pm Sunday. It's nothing to do with Charles. It's clearly a high visibility, checking discs operation.

Little CuChulainn

Discodog wrote: »

6 checkpoints around Galway in one hour about 5pm Sunday. It's nothing to do with Charles. It's clearly a high visibility, checking discs operation.

To what end exactly?

brevity

Pretty heavy presence in Cork. They might as well set up an office across from Silversprings they are there so often.

SuperS54

It's likely due to the fact of the focus on their numbers right now. If they just kept up with the previous checkpoint schedules but reported them correctly then the difference in numbers on paper before and after the discovery of fudging would be ginormous. Banging out a load of checkpoints now means the gap in numbers will appear much smaller, give it a few months and it'll tail off back to normal and johnny scroat can be out and about again having a few pints in his untaxed, uninsured, no NCT white civic.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Definite increase. Checking discs this morning at 7:30 not too far from my house

carzony

Funny enough, I was stopped last night for the first time in a while. 2 local Detectives that seemed very bored but friendly.

I'm constantly seeing that new armed unit floating around in the Audi Jeeps.

gramar

brevity wrote: »

Pretty heavy presence in Cork. They might as well set up an office across from Silversprings they are there so often.

They're called stations :pac:

Gone Drinking

It's the good weather. There's always more checkpoints when the weather picks up.

Cantona's Collars

Checkpoints everywhere down my way but God forbid you might see a few out on the beat.They'd make a fortune with the illegal parking in Enniscorthy alone.

Discodog

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

To what end exactly?

I think the replies sum it up very well. PR & showing a presence.

Discodog

gramar wrote: »

They're called stations :pac:

Barracks!

Discodog

SuperS54 wrote: »

It's likely due to the fact of the focus on their numbers right now. If they just kept up with the previous checkpoint schedules but reported them correctly then the difference in numbers on paper before and after the discovery of fudging would be ginormous. Banging out a load of checkpoints now means the gap in numbers will appear much smaller, give it a few months and it'll tail off back to normal and johnny scroat can be out and about again having a few pints in his untaxed, uninsured, no NCT white civic.

Exactly. Well said

andekwarhola

lmimmfn wrote: »

Yep, noticed this, driving new mondeos and SUVs

What do you think the police force of the country should drive around in?

1998 Reg Micras?

andekwarhola

RayM wrote: »

My locality has been crawling with filth lately

osarusan

Out catching people going for a weekend spin in the nice weather.

mark085

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Definite increase. Checking discs this morning at 7:30 not too far from my house

Where was that

flutered

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Definite increase. Checking discs this morning at 7:30 not too far from my house

hereabouts its the bag and drug tests that they do at that time

flutered

Discodog wrote: »

I think the replies sum it up very well. PR & showing a presence.

if the wanted to show presence they would have more cars out crusing and checking reg no's and faces in cars

flutered

Discodog wrote: »

Barracks!

cop shops is what they are called, now do not start wondering why, it might be bad for morale

flutered

Gone Drinking wrote: »

It's the good weather. There's always more checkpoints when the weather picks up.

gaa and rugby on tv and theres none the be seen or found

Noveight

I got breathalyzed for the first time in my life last week, there's a definite added presence of Gardaí on our roads.

Kivaro

And I got breathalyzed for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago .......... and I've had a long life. I wanted to ask the guard after I passed the test if she was going to put me down for 100 tests, but didn't bother as they all seemed pissed off to be on the road blockade.

I can assure you that this is not a coincidence. How in hell are they getting away with fabricating numbers and then try to offset it by actually doing the job that they were supposed to have been doing in the first place.

Any Guard that was involved in submitted falsified reporting should immediately be fired and considered for prosecution. If they feel like it was acceptable behavior then where else are they being corrupt?
But this is Ireland, and nothing is gonna happen to them. The Garda unions will probably threaten an illegal strike again if any real consequence is proposed for these "alleged" illegal activities.

SuperS54

Kinda makes you wonder if the current "blitz" is actually what was supposed to have been happening all along. If it is, how many accidents would have been avoided with drink drivers, no insurance, no NCT etc. having been taken off the roads?

arctictree

Haven't been stopped for year and was stopped 4 times in the last month alone!

From reading the local paper its amazing the amount of drivers who drive while disqualified. Sure if they get caught, they'll just be disqualified again!

Kivaro

arctictree wrote: »

Haven't been stopped for year and was stopped 4 times in the last month alone!

I wonder is there an intrepid reporter out there who will ask Garda management why there is a sudden dramatic increase in these occurrences.

Cianmcliam

Kivaro wrote: »

I wonder is there an intrepid reporter out there who will ask Garda management why there is a sudden dramatic increase in these occurrences.

I did wonder if the huge publicity around the introduction of roadside drug testing was timed to give a cover story for the noticeable increase in checkpoints.

Also got breathalysed for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago on a busy dual carriageway.

Kivaro

Cianmcliam wrote: »

Also got breathalysed for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago on a busy dual carriageway.

Surely it's safer to do these tests (in this scenario) on entrance/exit ramps instead of the actual dual carriageway?
But then again, it does scream out "look at us actually breathalyzing people" though.

RustyNut

Kivaro wrote: »

I wonder is there an intrepid reporter out there who will ask Garda management why there is a sudden dramatic increase in these occurrences.

Asking the question is one thing, getting an honest answer from garda management would seem unlikely.

flutered

Cianmcliam wrote: »

I did wonder if the huge publicity around the introduction of roadside drug testing was timed to give a cover story for the noticeable increase in checkpoints.

Also got breathalysed for the first time in my life a couple of weeks ago on a busy dual carriageway.

where better a place to have the public notice them and spread the word

flutered

RustyNut wrote: »

Asking the question is one thing, getting an honest answer from garda management would seem unlikely.

judging by what we have seen on tv and reading the pac reports, theres many the cop who have done the 10001 course of how not to answer a question, the current high profile court case is another, garda asks trial judge does a question have to be answered, judge days yes, garda the answers the questuin with the sentence, no comment, why was this taken by both the questioning cunse and the judge as an answer, if joe and josie soap started doing this the would be hell to pay by both the bench and legal profession

Dr Crayfish

God forbid you'd see any of these clowns on the beat in Dublin where people can openly deal heroin and benzos in tourist zones

Discodog

Definitely a much stronger presence during the week here. Far more checkpoints than usual. Meanwhile a guy on Liveline was explaining how he had four thousand euro worth of tools stolen & the Guards didn't want to know. He even found someone openly selling stolen tools & no interest from the Guards.

Last week a guy explained how he had found an unconscious man on the street & stopped a passing Garda car. They told him to dial 999.

ScumLord

Kivaro wrote: »

Any Guard that was involved in submitted falsified reporting should immediately be fired and considered for prosecution.

I don't think the country can afford to fire that many guards. We'd have none left, from the sounds of things everyone from the newbies to the top brass knew well it was going on.

I've noticed guards all over the place lately too, they were even doubling down on the speed vans having the van at one end of the town and the guards at the other with the speed gun. Whenever I go on an extended journey lately I've come across at least one checkpoint, usually for tax.

As long as they stay away from rush hour traffic, it's bad enough in Galway wintout having them delay things even further testing people coming out of work.

Discodog

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't think the country can afford to fire that many guards. We'd have none left, from the sounds of things everyone from the newbies to the top brass knew well it was going on.

I've noticed guards all over the place lately too, they were even doubling down on the speed vans having the van at one end of the town and the guards at the other with the speed gun. Whenever I go on an extended journey lately I've come across at least one checkpoint, usually for tax.

As long as they stay away from rush hour traffic, it's bad enough in Galway wintout having them delay things even further testing people coming out of work.

There were big delays this morning due to the Guards & RSA for traffic coming into town at 9am

tuxy

Kivaro wrote: »

Surely it's safer to do these tests (in this scenario) on entrance/exit ramps instead of the actual dual carriageway?
But then again, it does scream out "look at us actually breathalyzing people" though.

Couldn't be done on an exit ramp as they would be seen and the car would just continue straight.
Very unsafe to do on an enterance ramp as this is when cars are accelerating hard to get up to motorway or dual carriage way speeds.

The checkpoint I saw on the N7 motorway near Limerick recently looked very safe. Signs and bollards up from 1km out that became more numerous from 500m onwards, 2 garda flagging you down around 300 metres out and then 3 guards on the checkpoint itself.
Very visible and very safe.

ScumLord

Discodog wrote: »

There were big delays this morning due to the Guards & RSA for traffic coming into town at 9am

They were pulling trucks at the Oranmore junction on the M6, there was also some sort of bicycle rally going from Tuam to Galway on the way back to Tuam, so they had a few garda vehicles escorting them. Who-tf organises a bike race during rush hour traffic, on the busiest day of the week, on one of the busiest roads in the country?

mynamejeff

dont you just hate it when the gardai do thier jobs ?

a fine example of damed if they do damed if they dont isnt it

ive also heard its an effort to hide the actual shortfall in numbers by getting every possible uniform out in view


its PR and numbers juggling by the powers that be as per usual

fyi most speed camara vans are run by a private company from kerry at the behest of a certain government minster.

Kivaro

tuxy wrote: »

Couldn't be done on an exit ramp as they would be seen and the car would just continue straight.
Very unsafe to do on an enterance ramp as this is when cars are accelerating hard to get up to motorway or dual carriage way speeds.

The checkpoint I saw on the N7 motorway near Limerick recently looked very safe. Signs and bollards up from 1km out that became more numerous from 500m onwards, 2 garda flagging you down around 300 metres out and then 3 guards on the checkpoint itself.
Very visible and very safe.

I have never seen breathalyzer tests done on motorways in other countries when I lived abroad for many years. It is just too dangerous and slows down commerce, which negatively affects the economy. In these countries, motorway tests were usually done further down the ramps where they could not be seen.

Most of us believe that the increase in Garda activity is more of a PR exercise at the moment than to catch drunk drivers. Watch this space though, as we will see a surge in drunk driving statistics in the coming months.

Noveight

Met one checkpoint on a slip road off a motorway yesterday and another was set up about a mile from my home this morning.

The net is tightening :P