‘Under-resourced' and 'overworked' Longford Gardaí ‘losing connection’ with community

Gardaí in Longford are currently 'under-resourced' and 'overworked' and Garda members are 'losing the connection with the community' due to the new policing model, according to a local Garda representative.

The Longford Leader has learnt that actual Garda numbers for the Longford Community Engagement Area are approximately 8% lower than those recorded by An Garda Síochána and supplied through a recent Freedom of Information request.

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The FOI confirmed in mid-May that there were 77 Gardaí in the Longford Community Engagement Area, however, it is understood the number of Gardaí actually attached to that section this week is 71.

Garda Keith Maher, the Longford GRA representative, who was contacted for his reaction to the figures, said an inaccurate tally is problematic and it can have repercussions for several years.

He stated it means the Longford CE area is more likely to get less newly qualified Gardaí from Templemore and more likely to get a lower number of Gardaí than would ordinarily be sent here.

New probationer Gardaí from the Garda College, typically serve at their first station for at least three years on general policing duties before before being eligible to apply for specialist units.

Asked if he was surprised by the figures, Garda Maher, said he was not.

"It gives a false reflection and unfair representation of the amount of members in Longford, which effects the amount of recruits from Templemore that come out.

"That has the knock-on effect of less members having to do more.

"Garda Headquarters are looking at us with 77 when we really only have 71 so they think we have more guards than we do have so you don't get as many recruits coming out of Templemore."

Garda Maher said he believes the new policing model 'is not working' and a garda division the size of Longford, Mayo and Roscommon, which stretches 212km from Granard to Blacksod, past Belmullet is too 'complicated'.

"Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim were supposed to be one Garda divison, but it was stopped due to the geographical size creating complications that we also have with Mayo, Roscommon and Longford.

"It's logistically too large of an area."

Garda Maher said he believes there is more of a strain on rank-and-file Gardaí carrying out ordinary policing duties.

Longford was initially amalgamated with Mayo and Roscommon in September 2022 as part of a pilot scheme before being fully adopted and established.

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"It is more difficult for members on the ground because you are expected to do more work with less resources and less time.
"I would like to see it go back to the old Garda district model because everyone in the station was working together.

"Now the crime unit is separate to the Community Engagement unit and it can create divides in the station.

Other Garda figures released showed that there are 90 Garda members in the Crime Functional Area in the three county Garda division including a Castlerea-based superintendent, five inspectors and 17 sergeants.

There are 36 Garda members in the Mayo Roscommon Longford Performance Assurance Functional Area with a superintendent at Government buildings in Roscommon, three inspectors and 12 sergeants.

Garda Maher said the GRA believe the new policing model is one that has 'failed in other jurisdictions'.

"They are reverting back to how we used to police and we are moving away from what we used to do.

"We are losing the connection with the community."

"The way the job is being ran, members are too busy to engage in that sort of policing.

"We are not London, it's a different model completely."