Sir - The former Curator of the Garda Museum, Gregory Allen, has provided an interesting historical insight into the development of policing practises in this country in your issue of January 14th under the above heading.
Today's frontline policemen will derive some amusement from Mr Allen's quaint references to a "new approach", dated sometime between 1829 to 1928. Garda management will no doubt also have fond memories of the time when policemen were on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
We all have a certain nostalgia for the times when the pace of life was slower and when there were no motoring ears and therefore no travelling criminals; very basic information technology and therefore no computer fraud when the strongest drugs on the market were tobacco and alcohol. However we must deal with the reality of the situation as we find it in the approach to the Millennium.
We also must deal with the situation of an undermanned police force which is, however, operating at a very efficient level - hence my reference to the full prisons and courts. One hopes that the Strategic Management Initiative will recommend sufficient personnel strengths so that crime prevention function of the force can be improved to even higher levels than at present. - Yours, etc.,
General Secretary, Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, Phibsboro Tower, Dublin 7.