Bullies in blue uniforms
Senior
Garda officers consistently deny claims that members of the police
force are subjected to bullying. But there's a great deal of anecdotal
evidence that they are. Here's one garda's horrific account of how a
career choice led to him being driven from the force by the bullies in
blue
I am a member of An Garda Siochana,
garda rank, with over 20 years service. I am married with three
children. I took up duty as Community Garda some years ago. A few years
ago I attended a course in conflict resolution (Generic Mediation).
During
this course a sergeant in my station changed his behaviour towards me.
In the past we were on good terms, both professionally and personally.
I began to notice that when I entered his office he would tilt his head
towards me with a threatening frown on his face, for no apparent
reason. Other occasions when I was on my own I would sense someone
staring at me and I would find the Sergeant making the same facial
gestures towards me. I was confused as to why he was behaving like this
as we had previously had a good working relationship. When I would
apply for leave or time-off there were comments, e.g. "are you going to
do any real work?". Other times when I left a room he was in, be it the
kitchen, his office or other room, there would be a big laugh. He
shouted at me when I returned the patrol car one evening, in the
presence of other gardai, saying "you don't need the car for flouting
around" (his view of community policing).
While
this behaviour continued I noticed this was affecting my health and I
was not sleeping well. In the morning I felt more tired then when I
went to sleep. I also had pains in my knees and had bouts of diarrhoea.
I was not aware that I was suffering from stress and anxiety and that
this was as a result of the Sergeant's behaviour, which I now know was
bullying. I was anxious to make the Sergeant aware of his behaviour
towards me and try to resume the good relationship we had previously. I
picked my moment, when he was alone in his office. I asked him was
there a problem with my work, he said "no, I have no problem with your
work". I approached him a second time. I told him I would rather leave
the station than for us to fall out. He spoke about my work and was
very dismissive. On a third occasion I asked him was there something
wrong with me, to which he replied "you take everything personally".
After
each time I approached him, his bullying behaviour towards me got
worse, as if he saw it as a weakness and preyed on it. All my efforts
were in vain. My home was also targeted. He started phoning my home
while I was at work enquiring my whereabouts from my wife. Once he
phoned my home twice on the same day, knowing since that morning I was
in Kerry on a cash escort. His behaviour had included my family. It was
now at a stage that in my home everyone was afraid of the phone when it
rang.
I successfully completed the course
(first year). I had concluded at this stage that the sergeant's
attitude towards me coincided with this course and felt maybe this was
the reason for his change towards me. I submitted my project to my
Superintendent and to HQ, entitled ‘Mediation within Community
Policing'. On a Sunday morning at about 11am my Superintendent phoned
me. He said he had read the project twice and "it's very good and all
gardai should be trained in this".
There
was a second year to the course. Eight places were available, I secured
one. I applied to attend. The Sergeant said "the course is only
suitable for social workers and we are experts in dealing with
conflict". This same Sergeant submitted a glowing letter of support for
part one, saying it was a necessary tool for me in dealing with
conflict on the ground. After weeks of delay I inquired from the
Superintendent about sanction to do the course. He also said it was
more suitable for social workers.
They
eventually refused the course. I persevered and undertook to do the
course at my own expense and time (all my holidays and time off). The
course was for two days per week for the academic year. I had to agree
an unworkable timetable with the Sergeant to receive his approval. It
meant finishing the course at 5pm and to commence duty that same
evening at 6pm on some days, finishing duty at 2am in the morning and
then attending the course at 9am later that morning. I had to withdraw
from the course after a few weeks as the strain of the Sergeant's
behaviour towards me took its toll. I tried to pursue the course but
found I couldn't as I was too stressed. Often, there were detectives
standing opposite the entrance when I was leaving in the evening.
The
graduation date (for the first year) was drawing near. The garda press
office phoned me at home and asked me would I talk to the Irish Times
about my course. The press office said the Force could do with some
positive press. The Times wanted to do an article on the benefits of
mediation in An Garda Siochana. The article was published in the EL
supplement. I was looking forward to the Graduation after the
excitement of doing the Times interview. I applied for special leave to
attend my graduation. The Sergeant told me there was no provision for
this. I showed him the regulations and told him I was attending in
uniform. He said that if you are attending in uniform it would be
regarded as work and leave would not be necessary. I applied for two
days leave, Friday (night duty) off to travel and day duty on Saturday
to attend. At approximately 11am on the Friday before my graduation,
the Sergeant phoned me at home and said one day's leave was approved,
and he would see me that evening (to work until 2am). I contacted the
press office and told them I was unable to attend my graduation and
explained my dilemma. He told me he would sort it out.
Later
that day my Superintendent phoned me and said to take the Friday leave
to attend my graduation. I asked him if I could see him and he agreed
to see me later that day, as my wife and I felt it was time to inform
the Superintendent about the Sergeant's behaviour, as at this stage the
behaviour was severely affecting me. At the meeting he was very
sarcastic and dismissive. He said: "Aren't you the mediator? Wouldn't
this be a good one for you to mediate yourself?"
This
response led me feeling shattered with no recourse but to invoke the
INTERNAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE. This I did very reluctantly. It was the
worst thing I could have done, but I was not to know this at the time:
the Chief dealing with this broke me down. From the outset he
trivialised everything I had to say and made no attempt to address any
of my concerns. He had me stalked at night when I went for a walk.
Regular phone calls to my home directing me to attend meetings during
the grievance procedure at short notice. Patrol cars calling at all
times. My pay envelopes and other post opened and subsequently
hand-delivered. I was on my knees. My head felt like I was going to
suffocate. I was going around and around. The situation was snowballing
after every meeting. The chief did not identify this behaviour as
wrong. Instead he kept pushing me, trying to force me into thinking I
was the problem. I was not aware that once you invoke the internal
grievance procedure you become the problem.
The
chief was promoted to Assistant Commissioner. Shortly after, he phoned
my home. He said "I'm staying with this one" in an aggressive tone —
meaning that he was not letting me go, even though the regulations say
he has to pass it to his successor.
I
contacted a psychologist for support on the advice of my GP. The
psychologist's opinion was that the grievance procedure was very
damaging and that I was not to attend any further meetings. Instead he
would attend on my behalf. It was then agreed by the A/Comm that, in
order for me to return to work, the issues with the Sergeant needed to
be addressed. The psychologist tried to organise a meeting with the
A/Comm, the Sergeant, the psychologist and myself. The Sergeant refused
to attend. He was given discretion to attend this meeting or not,
unlike myself during the Grievance Procedure.
I
asked A/Comm to allow me to return to work under the supervision of the
community policing sergeant. He said no, that I would be under the
supervision of the Sergeant-in-charge (the sergeant I complained
about). After attending 13 meeting and employing a psychologist (at a
cost to me of over €1,000) to sort this out, the A/Comm wrote to me
saying "You have made no effort to sort this out" and he also refused
to give his findings.
My home was in
turmoil. I have two teenagers and a young child. Everybody was stressed
out. Phone calls to my home from the chief's office and patrol cars
arriving at any time, was putting us under enormous pressure. I felt
that returning to work would bring back the appearance, at least, of
normality to my family in my home and would take the pressure off my
home life. I had no choice but to return to work under the supervision
of the same Sergeant I had complained about.
Nothing
had changed. I felt disillusioned, abused, defeated, depressed, very
stressed and fearful of what I was returning to. I returned to work. I
was not happy with the operation of the grievance procedure or the fact
that they refused to give me any findings, but I had no choice. I had
to ask the sergeant for an item of uniform which was issued when I was
on sick leave. He said to me "that was issued when you were on
holidays". I was feeling very hurt, and this comment confirmed for me
that nothing was going to change. This was causing further damage and
pain. Nobody inquired as to my welfare, or as how things were now
working out with the Sergeant, nobody cared.
The
Sergeant told me that he was going to make adjustments to my roster. He
was being hyper-vigilant towards my work. He was looking for faults. He
was looking for revenge, in the form of transferring me or disciplining
me in some way. I could do nothing to stop him. My fears proved right,
as a short time later I was asked to call to the Superintendent. He
asked would I "do him a favour" and leave Community Policing and go to
a unit. I asked him was there a problem with my work or had he received
a complaint. He said the community policing sergeant said that
communications were not the way they he wanted them to be.
After
the meeting I went to the Sergeant-in-charge of Community Policing and
told him the Superintendent wanted to move me from Community Policing.
I asked him had he a problem with my work. He said "I am not going to
be used as a scapegoat here". At this point I was frightened and
desperate and felt I was near breaking point. I contacted HQ to see the
Garda doctor. I asked him for his protection as my medical officer, he
advised me to go back to the Superintendent. I did this. The
Superintendent said he would get back to me when I contacted him, but
he never did.
One evening while I was on
duty, I responded to a call of a disturbance on the street. I was on my
own in the car. I arrived to find a Travellers' feud involving over 100
men. They were armed with slashers, bill hooks, knives, and other
weapons. I stopped the row and arrested four men. A number were taken
to hospital suffering from mutilation of a finger, deep cuts to heads,
bodies, arms and necks. At 11.30pm I was leaving the city station after
dealing with this case. I had been due to finish at 6pm. No one
contacted me at the city station to ask was I OK, or to say well done.
This
incident was on local radio next day. Residents in the area spoke and
described what had taken place and said how brave I was. Not one
comment from my colleagues the next day. I thought that this would
clear the air at the station: how wrong I was. I could have been killed.
The
Sergeant in-charge was promoted to Sergeant in-charge of Regional HQ (
next step to inspector). I was delighted, as this meant he would be
leaving the station. I did not care if they made him a Chief, as long
as he was moved away from me. A new Sergeant arrived at the station. I
thought things would get better but I could not have been more wrong —
I realised that what had been bullying was now upgraded to mobbing.
I
was Chairman of the Garda Drugs and Crime Projects, which were funded
by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law reform. Two full-time
workers were employed by the Projects. The new Sergeant told me "not to
have them calling in to your office, because they would have left wing
views and would be listening to things".
At
the station I was informed by a garda colleague that the Sergeant who
had left (Sergeant whom I had problems with previously and was now in
headquarters) had phoned and said to inform me that my that my duty for
the next day was changed. This was the Sergeant I invoked the grievance
against. He was no longer my Sergeant, but was still directing me, and
this he was allowed to do by his superiors. The new Sergeant took me
off some of my regular duties, cash escorts, etc. I wrote and asked why
but got no reply. I was told I was not to drive patrol cars any more.
(The Garda doctor said I was fit to drive and wrote a letter
accordingly.) I asked in writing why I was not allowed to drive. No
reply.
The Sergeant called a meeting
because he wanted to adjust my roster, the other community garda at my
station was not required to attend. As I was writing who was in
attendance at the start of the meeting the Sergeant-in-charge asked me
what I was doing in a very aggressive manner. I told him I was going to
note the changes to my roster. He shouted "put down the pen". I said I
needed to note the changes. He replied, "I'm the Sergeant in-charge
here and I'm telling you to put down the pen or I'll discipline you".
My roster was changed completely in an attempt to move me from
Community Policing, as all other efforts had failed.
I
received aggressive files from the Sergeant at the station asking me to
explain did I fraudulently signed off for a meeting and why was I
attending meetings on my days off.
Court
Notification was withheld. But for the fact that the court had
contacted me directly and another garda notified me, I would have
missed the court and would have been disciplined for so doing. I was
very worried. I feared I was being set up. I felt that they were trying
to ruin my so far perfect record by having me disciplined.
I
changed my car. I parked the new car in the staff car-park behind the
station. When I arrived home at lunch hour I discovered a deep scratch
on the rear door and the rear window wiper bent.
This
was all taking its toll on my already fragile health. Shortly after I
relayed the happenings to my solicitor who advised me to get out. The
mobbing, which was very apparent since my return to work, was getting
more and more disturbing. I had problems eating and sleeping. It
consumed me and made me feel sick with worry as to what I should do.
Internally I had tried everything. My wife was worried when I went to
work. I had a story to tell on my return every day. The atmosphere at
the station was intolerable. Other gardai were guarded in their
dealings with me, afraid of being implicated as all knew only too well
what was happening. I felt totally powerless and extremely stressed and
alone. I was taking on a very powerful organisation, one with great
power — what could I do? I resigned.
This
case is going to the High Court. Regardless of the outcome I have lost
my career, which means: I have lost. The bullies will stay and nothing
will change. Maybe if enough of us stand up things will change. When
highlighting this kind of behaviour, be prepared to lose your career,
as happened to me. I loved my job and would dearly love to be able to
go back to it. My confidence is such that now I no longer feel able to
do the simplest of tasks; even as I write this I am breaking out in a
sweat. It's a long and hard journey, one that I would not recommend.
Time will tell if I will recover sufficiently and return to the happy
lifestyle, which they have ruined, for my family and I.
The Garda Siochana (‘Guardians of
the Peace') is the Irish national police force. In recent years,
several examples of corruption and perversion of justice by police have
emerged, including false arrests and frame-ups, and several public
inquiries are continuing. There is a great deal of evidence of an
internal culture of bullying and intimidation, though Garda
headquarters denies there is a problem.
