Sergeant Jim Bergin and the Garda Siochana

EYE ON THE PAST NO. 1492 My friend, Carlow man Seamus Breathnach, wrote the first published history of the Garda Siochana which appeared in the book shops in 1974. Published by Anvil Books it provided a valuable insight into the history of policing in Ireland dealing with the Baronial Constabulary, the Peace Preservation Force, the Royal Irish Constabulary and ending with the Garda Siochana. As a former member of the Garda Siochana Seamus, who was later called to the Irish Bar, drew attention to the lack of concern for the importance of policing within Ireland. Seamus’s book was followed the same year by Conor Brady’s ‘Guardians of the Peace’ in which the future editor of the Irish Times sought to place the Garda Siochana in the Irish historical and political context. He did this by examining the political background to the setting up of the Garda Siochana and the subsequent development of that force. I was reminded of these two important accounts of the Garda Siochana’s early history when I learned of the retirement of Sergeant Jim Bergin who as a young Garda member arrived in the Athy Garda Station just a year after I had arrived back in Athy. Indeed, Jim joined the Garda Siochana in July 1982, exactly one month after my return to Athy after an absence of 21 years. His arrival in Athy coincided with the emergence of the ‘Hole in the Wall gang’ whose activities ensured many hours of investigative work for the Garda Siochana, resulting in several appearances before Judge Seamus Mahon. Jim was promoted to Sergeant after ten years and in recent years he has headed up the Garda station team here in Athy as the station’s Sergeant. It was a position which my late father held for a number of years before he retired in July 1966. When my father transferred to Athy from nearby Castlecomer in 1945 he took up duty with a fine body of men, many of whom had seen service with the Old I.R.A. during the War of Independence. These included Garda Jim Kelly and Garda Johnny McMahon, both from County Mayo, Garda Mick Touhy from Clare and Garda Michael O’Connell. Policing in those days was in many respects very different and more dangerous than it is today. In the year of my birth three Gardai were killed. The first victim who was ambushed and shot outside his home at Ballyboden, Co. Dublin was Sergeant Denis O’Brien. Approximately 3 weeks later Garda Michael Walsh was shot dead in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, while October 1942 saw the third Garda killing with the shooting of Garda George Mordant who was shot dead at Donneycarney in Dublin. Regrettably the Gardai are unlikely to be seen on the streets today, while in my young days all members of the force including sergeants were regularly allocated to ‘beat’ duties. Another noticeable change in modern day policing is the apparent reluctance of today’s Gardai to live in the same town as their Garda station base. These two changes in the local visibility of the Gardai have brought with it a lack of appreciation of the Gardai’s role within the local community and emphasises their separation from that same community. The crime prevention role of the Gardai has been largely overlooked today. It is questionable whether trained Gardai who train for two years before qualifying should be employed in checking motor vehicles and drivers for speeding, insurance, motor tax, NCT certificates, driving licences, etc. The assignments of a substantial number of Gardai to the Road Traffic Corps seems a wasteful use of specialised resources. The general feeling is that it would be better for Gardai to be visible on the streets of our towns fulfilling the primary role of the Gardai which is the prevention of crime. While doing so they would also be acquiring and retaining local knowledge which is so vital in the detection of crime. The Sergeant Jims of this world are not to blame for the current policing practices. We must look further up the chain of command and perhaps also to the politicians to address these issues. Sergeant Jim Bergin now retires after 39 years of service and during his many years in Athy I found him to be an efficient and fair-minded Garda. Unfortunately there are some Gardai who in prosecuting their cases in the Courts see it as their duty to secure a conviction at any odds. In reality their duty as prosecutors is to present the facts, irrespective of whether they are advantageous or otherwise to the accused. Too often have I come across this in Court proceedings, but equally it must be said that the good Gardai who carry out their duties efficiently and properly are hugely in the majority. Sergeant Jim Bergin when he appeared in Court was always fair to those he prosecuted. I wish him well in his retirement and hope that perhaps someone higher up in the ranks might take a hard look at the continuing wastage involving using trained members of the Garda Siochana for what can only be described as mundane road traffic duties. It is time for a radical rethink of how members of the Garda Siochana can be better deployed to the advantage of local communities. FRANK TAAFFE