Conference Report 2016

Section 3: Sub-committee Reports
DIVISIONAl bOuNDARIES
The Change Management Sub Committee were tasked
with examining the following motion passed at the
Annual Delegate Conference 2014
“That Conference calls on Garda Management to review
and revise current Divisional and District boundaries so
as to reflect population, location of Garda Station and
policing needs”.
The Sub Committee sought submissions from the
Central Executive Committee.
In the years 2006/2007 there was major restructuring of
Divisional boundaries resultant from a review of the said
boundaries by Garda Management. The object of this
exercise was to bring all areas within a particular county
into a specific Division thereby facilitating attendance by
local Management at a forum such as joint policing
committees. Garda Divisions would mirror Local Authority
areas, Court areas and so forth.
This accrued in the splitting of a number of Divisions
specifically Louth/Meath, Wexford, Longford/Westmeath,
Carlow Kildare and Waterford/Kilkenny. A number of new
Divisions were also created – Louth/Meath, Westmeath,
Kildare and Waterford.
This restructuring resulted in some communities on the
periphery of towns and villages now being policed by a
Station from within the county in which they lived rather
than a more proximate Station in a neighbouring county.
This restructuring in certain circumstances, we believe,
had a negative effect on the level of policing provided to
the local communities in the hinterlands of towns and
villages so affected. Heretofore the “local” Garda Station
is not now in fact their Station and they are required to
travel long distances to another Station within the
county boundary. These residents undertake all other
activities such as their shopping, school attendance,
church, post office and socialise in their local town but
are now required to travel distances to avail of their
policing service. This sometimes results in their
communities being patrolled less frequently as they are
on the outer reaches of their new sub districts. The latter
scenario also entails Garda members in attending to calls
in those areas having to travel long distances and on
occasions passing the Garda Station in the neighbouring
county on route and also at times leaving their own urban
areas bereft of any Garda presence.
The Sub Committee have reported to the Officer Board of
the Garda Representative Association with
recommendation that this matter be raised with the
Garda Commissioner with a view to further reviewing the
boundaries at issue.
EuROPEAN uNION VICTImS Of CRImE DIRECTIVE
EU Directive 2012/29/EU establishes minimum standards
on the rights, support and minimum standards on their
rights, support and protection of victims of crime. Article
25.1 contains a requirement that appropriate training be
provided to police officers among others as follows:
Member States shall ensure that officials likely to come
into contact with victims, such as police officers and
court staff, receive both general and specialist training to
a level appropriate to their contact with victims to
increase their awareness of the needs of victims and to
enable them to deal with victims in an impartial,
respectful and professional manner.
The Central Executive Committee requested the Change
Management Sub Committee to examine the contents of
the Directive to identify articles relevant to our members
and to make recommendations on training needs.
The Sub Committee having reviewed the Directive made
the recommendations and forwarded same to the
Training Sub Committee.
The Sub Committee examined a number of boundaries
which they perceived to be incongruous.
38th Annual Delegate Conference