Creaking wheels of justice

probably lack of resources.....

Not an exhaustive list, but I'll try and sum up what's involved in a public assault like that above:

• Witness to the crime details to be taken at scene, preferably take a statement then but usually never possible
• All shops with CCTV nearby to be checked for footage before, during, after, and any other time people matching the description (or video evidence, if available)
• Witness statements to be taken
• A&E doctor statement to be requested/received
• Other health professional statements for during/after treatment (usually if there are suspects and a file is nearing completing, but has to be considered)
• Injured party statement as soon as possible, and not always possible for a while
• Try and gather witness statements, most of which will withdraw in the time between incident and statement because it's too much hassle with court, etc
• Attempts to identify the identikit feral scrotes from each other, and from the "normal" kids who now dress like scrotes
• If one is lucky and a witness identifies them, or CCTV is not bought from Wish like most shops do and suspect is identifiable, then the whole arrest process comes into play
• Having to deal with parents who think they have raised angels who occasionally act like the devil... these people are fun...
• Probably get assaulted while arresting one of them, because they resist, and get treated like a resisting person which to immediate family and friends is straight up assault (who needs to actually know the Use of Force guidelines to make an assault complaint?!) and that leads to a separate case/investigation as a result
• Witnesses who know exactly who it was but won't talk to Gardai because; they're no rat, don't want to get involved, wouldn't help AGS if they were on fire, "shur you know who it is yourself" which is obviously all the evidence that's needed...

Article is paywalled, so not sure exactly where the case is, but if there was an arrest:

• Arrest the youth, preferably youths if there is a number of them and all at the same time so they can't corroborate inbetween arrests
• Request parent/guardian to attend for interviews - if they refuse the state has to arrange a 3rd party adult witness to sit in interviews if solicitor doesn't want to (private hire: solicitors stay, public funded: they don't)
• The interview process can take anywhere from hours to weeks, depending on severity, for each individual suspect
• More suspects may be identified, more witness statements may be required, more voluntary caution statements from youths not directly involved
• File completion - can't give an estimate on that, I've had files take anywhere from a few hours to 18+ months

And all this while still doing the daily job. The arrest and interviewing needs to be arranged so that there is availability to do it, that there is a room or more free. Sometimes you have to arrange with neighbouring districts and even divisions if suspects live in different areas. The logistics involved can be crazy, and there is little to no help for the frontline Garda doing this, as everyone else is busy with their own jobs/investigations.

It would be great if the setup was like the MET, where the responding officer takes the complaint and statement, if applicable, and it gets passed to the relevant investigating unit, ie: Crime Unit for burglaries/robberies/thefts from shops, as it's usually the same people/groups in those areas. Sexual Assault Units for sexual crimes, traffic units for traffic complaints, drugs units for drug related complaints, etc. But no, most frontline Gardai outside of Dubland (and even in Dubland because of how busy it is) have to do the investigation of every individual crime they respond to, unless it was of a higher priority (immediate threats to life, property, etc).

It's too much and with no help, lack of Garda management support, lack of resources, lack of training... I see it mentioned that brand new Gardai are to be deployed on Dublands streets to deal with the scumbag anti-social youths. Terrible idea. You need Gardai with good experience to deal with these shytes. New Gardai won't have the confidence and experience of dealing with the always monitored, always recorded, know-their-rights straight up abusive scummy "kids". Management need to set a hard line on it, and act accordingly but they don't. As I said, I wouldn't rejoin if they offered €100k a year.

I can remember the day any hope I had started to fade, when I brought a "youth" to Cork prison to do his 2 months for his 5th burglary. We stopped for chips before heading back to our station, as we hadn't eaten in like 9 hours because of said scrote. Just as we were arriving back, there's said scrote walking home from the train station. Prison decided there wasn't enough space, gave him a train ticket and €20 and sent him home. He got paid to go to (the) prison (arrivals area).

There are people roaming the streets with an ever expanding list of over 100+ convictions. There is no room in prison because apparantly the number of prisoners doesn't rise with the population, or so those who make decisions on building more prisons seem to think. There is no space. Not sure about the youth place, but I'd imagine that's the same. Youths come out with more scummy knowledge from prison. There's little to no deterrant because they know even the Gardai won't bate them like they used to, so there is literally no reason for them to not act like a scrote (well, aside from not wanting to be a scrote, but it appears it's a wanted lifestyle by some).

Country needs 1 massive prison, or a number of smaller ones. Built in the middle of nowhere to make it a pain to get to, and nothing to see/do other than the sound of quietness in the country. It needs to deter people from returning, but it's like a holiday home to some with their square meals (with choices!), free gym, ability to make money... They come out laughing if they've spent any time in there at all.

At some point, someone will come along and say our prison system is failing the occupants, that we should be doing more towards preventing repeat offenders. I can't see what more we can do for these people, just some people are beyond help. Doesn't help we also fund the lifestyles somewhat with little to no financial recourse to the free money they get from the same state they're committing crime against (or it's occupants).

And even when it ends in death, the sentences are shocking compared to the crime. Some lad got 10 years today for stabbing his mate over a stolen moped and €100. He only got 10 (with 1 suspended) because he still thinks what he did was justified (stabbing a lad in the neck). If he admitted, played the poor soul, troubled youth, didn't intend it, will work the probation services, he wouldn't have got more than 4.

Country is fukked, and I can't see how to fix it.

Would just like to thank Potential Monk for a very detailed answer and think it should be posted in every thread to do with anti-social behaviour and crime.

Fully agree with Fox Tail and also read that article today about the teen who knocked someone clean out and got probation.

I think alot of the (justified) anger among us normal folk is completely and conveniently ignored. The bigger issue is the courts and prison system.

But 1) I get how it isn't appealing politically to get tough on crime in courts/build prisons for fear of uproar over a police state and

2) I have a hunch it isn't in the interest of those who make money off crime to curb the repeat offending of those with 50,100,200, 550(!)+ convictions.

The guards are the last that will be consulted by politicians and judges. There might be the odd soundbite and a "meeting". But at the end of the day, this type of thing rears its head every so often. Dart pushing, stabbings, this tourist assault.

Nothing is ever actually done. People then get angry with the guards and it's on social media etc. Whereas guards I've spoken to are in full agreement with the public.

All the evidence and newspaper articles that exist of these suspended sentences, people with 50,100, 500+ convictions. Yet easy politically to blame the guards and have it solely a numbers issue there "we'll recruit more". They don't want people looking over at the laws, courts system and prison funding.

And for whatever reason I haven't seen a good investigative journalist look into it either. Easy to post the headline and get the clicks rather than delve deep into the reasons it keeps repeating.

They don't care. They only care about the next election or looking after them and theirs. Look at the other thread to see the photo ops of the Ministers for idiots walk through a single Dublin street the other day. AGS were sent up the street before to clean it of undesirables. That was a Garda management decision. At a loss from the get go. Garda management are as bad as politicians, only looking to move up.

No one cares for the Gardai on the ground, so it's lucky they're even allowed to have the GRA, which isn't an official union because AGS aren't allowed join a union. While they're not always the best, it's all they've got and they're often not consulted or just ignored if they are. They have made some wins, but it's always a fight and a losing battle for the most part.

I remember during the change of the rosters years ago, there was a section for each representation body to put forward suggestions. The only one from the Chiefs group was to bring back the white shirts for Supers/Chiefs...

Bodycams were badly wanted when I was still a member, and over 8 years later they're still not even in tender stage. Stabvests are rejects from other countries, badly designed and overheavy. No change there. I'm sure the pepper spray is still the lightest (and cheapest) version available. Patrol cars are non-modified Hyundais...

Can't understand why people are still applying in droves for it. I don't think you even get the alleged golden pension anymore (it was only golden if you had the pull to get promoted high enough).

I'd be all for ankle monitors for any recurring scum, but they'll just cut them off, the judge will slap them on the wrist and the state will have to pay for another one, rinse, repeat. Nothing will change until a new prison is built and properly staffed.