THE tradition of silence among the senior Garda ranks has meant that the debate on the issues of policing has, by default, been left to those who are often least expert on the subject.
Now, breaking with tradition, the Association of Chief Superintendents (ACS) has spoken on the issues of Garda numbers, deployment and contingencies of service and recent criminal justice legislation.
It has also commented on the role of its own members and of its attitude to the recently announced changes in management structures, including the introduction of the new rank of regional commander.
The decision to speak out is partly due to unhappiness about the publicity given to views by representatives of the lower ranks of gardai.
The decision is also understood to be partly due to frustration at what is seen as official disregard of the views of the chief superintendents, the most senior "operational" officers in the force. The association felt aggrieved at not being consulted prior to the introduction of the new regional commanders outside Dublin.
Although the role of the regional commanders has yet to be formalised, it has caused concern among divisional chief superintendents who, until now, had primacy in responsibility for operations in their areas.
The ACS has appointed Chief Supt John O'Brien, who serves in the personnel section at Garda Headquarters and previously was the senior Border chief superintendent, as its spokesman.
He pointed out that most other forces have a well established tradition of comment from their senior officers. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in Britain has long had responsibility for comment on major policing issues.
The association has chosen to concentrate on the issue of manpower resources.
Under arrangements introduced in the late 1980s, chief superintendents in charge of Garda divisions are the officers responsible for major criminal investigations which occur in their areas. The downgrading of the old "Murder Squad", which led to this situation, has placed significant additional responsibility on divisional resources. A major murder investigation can stretch resources within a division and place pressure on it to perform its other duties.
Chief Supt O'Brien said: "We find ourselves in a position of explaining and advising on very serious issues involving the investigation of major crimes, like murder. We are the people who speak on TV and quite frankly it is a natural position. Central to that is the question of resources at our disposal, the resources needed to meet the requirements of the public.
"There is a significant downturn in numbers in the garda rank. In forward projection by the year 2000 by comparison with the year 1986, there will probably be between 1,000 and 1,200 fewer members of garda rank in the organisation.
"It has come about basically because the annual recruitment of between 300 and 350 is not keeping pace with natural wastage, that is people retiring at the age limit, which is 57 for gardai and sergeants or people who opt to take early retirement."
He said it was significant that four years ago the force was promised, under a "ministerial initiative", that 200 civilians would be recruited to replace gardai on purely administrative and indoor duty, to free more gardai for duty "on the street".
"That has not happened. There are fewer civil servants involved in the Garda Siochana than there were when that announcement was made and that has an impact on garda numbers."
There are about 8,400 officers of garda rank, compared with 9,000 in 1986. There are also 700 civilians working in the force, marginally below the figure four years ago.
"The issue of numbers is crucial to performance in the divisions. It is accentuated at the moment because of the very necessary duty that is being done in relation to the BSE scare and the Border duty. That is against a background of a lot of public alarm in relation to a perceived rise in crime figures."
However, success in fighting crime was not simply a matter of garda numbers. There was a need to deploy gardai where they were needed most.
In particular, the chief superintendents strongly believed there was a need for reform of the "four shift" rostering arrangements in Dublin and other cities. Under the present system, there are three eight hour shifts of gardai in 24 hour opening stations, with a fourth shift "on rest".
The policy of maintaining so many 24 hour opening stations, particularly in Dublin and other cities, was detrimental to effective policing.
The associations representing officers of garda rank have steadfastly defended the rostering system. Rostering allowances provide as much as an additional 25 per cent to salary for the average garda on shift work.
There are "ways and means that the rostering system could be improved, providing more gardai at times of day when they would be more effective in combating crime, without causing any undue loss in salaries, the ACS felt.
Better working hours could have a "two way benefit", being more efficient in the fight against crime and providing more humane working hours for gardai Chief Supt O'Brien said.
"The solution does not simply rest with the recruitment of more people. There is clearly a need for change in policy in relation to the deployment of people, including the introduction of rostering more suitable to the needs of the service.
"While as an association we support other Garda associations in terms of their observations about the lack of garda numbers, we would take issue with the contention that rosters are sacrosanct and cannot be changed."
The ACS acknowledged that the Government had made progress with legislation designed to assist the fight against crime.
The association singled out for praise the Criminal Justice Bill, 1995, which provided new codification of offences - making certain offences "arrestable", providing gardai with new powers of entry and, for the first time, warrants to search for evidence.
It also supported legislation allowing seven day detention without charge for suspected drug traffickers; legislation on tackling money laundering; allowing gardai to provide a certificate on evidence for a court rather than appear in person; and the Consumer Credit Act which reformed the law on money lending offences.
The association was unhappy at recent claims by representatives of garda rank that recruits were being treated as "second class" gardai. Supt O'Brien pointed to the quality of education and training for recruits and the emphasis placed on reaching the highest standards attainable. The association believed that recent criticism of training procedures was a result of the dispute between the opposing sides among garda representatives. The recruits were being "used in this dispute".
On training, he said: "On behalf of our association I want to clearly state that the training procedures in place and the people providing the training are doing it to the very highest of standards. We would welcome the closest scrutiny of these areas. We consider it extremely unfair and inaccurate to criticise the commitment of teachers and students, in this very important area.
A system of checks and balances was applied to all involved in the training process.
"Naturally, from time to time, people join the service who are not suited to it. It makes good sense to have in place a system by which these people do not pursue a full time career in the Garda Siochana.
The ACS was unhappy with the way the new management structure of regional commander had been introduced without consultation with the association. "We consider that we are professional, expert and competent to comment and advise on the regionalisation proposals within the Garda Siochana.
"These decisions have not taken place to date. We intend to adopt a policy with regard to regionalisation and to ensure that our views are taken into account."
The ACS intended to raise the issue with the Garda management and departmental officials at the Garda Conciliation Council. "We do not intend to co operate with non negotiated change but, overall, to welcome the practice of change. The process can only be fruitful if there is meaningful debate with all concerned in the Garda. We have every interest in making this initiative work."