Fine Gael’s Justice Minister Mrs Frances Fitzgerald, speaking recently at a graduation ceremony in the Garda Training College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, announced that at least 500 extra Gardaí will be recruited in 2016. This news comes amidst urgent calls from the public to increase Garda numbers, particularly in rural areas, in an attempt to clamp down on crime, often carried out in the knowledge that present Garda personnel and resources are somewhat thin on the ground nationwide.
Since 2008 and over the following five-year period, during which there were no new recruits added to An Garda Síochána, it is believed that as many as 30,000 people have expressed an interest in joining the force. If Minister Fitzgerald is correct in her recent forecast; competition for future places as career members of An Garda Síochána are likely to be vigorously challenged.
Pictured here at the Thurles Community Policing Seminar held in St Patricks College. Thurles, last January 2015 were (L – R) Garda Annette Connolly, Mr Frank Flanagan (Clonmel), Garda Jacinta Phelan, Ms Kathleen Wright (Thurles) and Garda Regina McCarthy.
Thurles Garda Station – Open Day Saturday, September 26th, 2015
On Saturday, September 26th, 2015 next, the Garda Station here in Thurles are holding an ‘Open Day’, to which all are invited to attend between the hours 2:00pm and 5:00pm.
The purpose of this ‘Open Day’ is to allow adults and their families to visit Thurles Garda Station; to view at first hand the often difficult and painstaking work undertaken daily by our local police force.
This planned afternoon programme of events, co-ordinated by Garda Annette Connolly (pictured left above), will see off duty police return to Thurles station, thus giving up their valued personal time to participate in this event.
The afternoon programme of events will include: Face Painting and Colouring Competitions to entertain the younger members of our community. For our adults and those planning to join the force possibly sometime in the future, there will be an ideal opportunity to view at first hand live demonstrations of how our Garda Dog Unit work e.g. sniffing out explosive substances, drugs and also working with our Garda Public Order Units etc.
Members of the Regional Response Unit, Drugs Unit and Traffic Unit, together with those involved in crime scene finger printing will also be on hand to explain their specialist detection work. So too will be available ample information from officers dealing everyday with ‘Crime Prevention’, ‘Thurles Text Alert’, and the ‘Know your Patch Garda Information’ sections, latter three of which I hasten to add, most of us are often slow to implement, until we experience personal difficulties within our homes, factories and other businesses.
Also present on the afternoon of September 26th next will be our Fire Brigade and Ambulance services. Latter will perform a live demonstration of what they encounter when a motor vehicle is involved in a serious accident, so often brought about by speeding on our roads. (Note: An actual crashed car will be used in this latter ‘true to life’ demonstration, so often shielded thankfully from our public gaze.)
This ‘Open Day’ event on September 26th next will not only grant the observer a more intimate knowledge of the everyday workings of An Garda Síochána in our local community, but will also serve useful to second level and third level students, who may be planning a future career, as a member of Ireland’s much valued police force.
Our congratulation to all involved and Thurles.Info will be reminding our readers about this event closer to the scheduled date.
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