Gardai working off the burgers

[Rat Catcher]

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/internal-review-after-16k-from-court-poor-box-used-to-buy-gym-equipment-for-garda-station-37872632.html

Internal review after €16k from court poor box used to buy gym equipment for garda station
   
Philip Ryan 
March 3 2019 5:30 PM
 
Gardai have launched an internal review into the purchase of €16,000 worth of gym equipment for a garda station which was bought using funding from a District Court poor box.

The review is also examining a €27,000 poor box payment used by the same station to buy a mini-bus for a community policing initiative.

The money for the bus was raised through two separate poor box payments from the District Court and Circuit Court.

Concerns about the payments were raised with senior gardai in recent days and are now being examined by Garda Headquarters.

Central to the review are concerns that proper procurement rules may not have been followed in the purchasing of the minibus and gym equipment.

It is understood the station at the centre of the internal review previously had a gym on site but this was closed to make way for a locker room for female gardai.

The decision to close the gym was unpopular with some members of the force.

In the past year, a building attached to the station was converted into a gym for the gardai.

As part of the effort to reinstate a gym at the station, a request was made to the local district court for poor box funding to buy equipment.

The request for the money is believed to have been made through a garda social club.

The judge granted the request late last year, according to a source familiar with the matter.

There is no suggestion the judge acted improperly in approving the funding to gardai.

However, senior gardai are concerned the money was used to make purchases which did not adhere to procurement rules for state agencies.

A garda spokesperson said: "This particular matter is subject to an internal review. In general, the decision on how money from the poor box is spent on particular projects is a matter for the presiding judge."

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan last year committed to abolishing the court poor box systems as he believes it "is no longer a fit place in justice administration".

More than €1.5m was raised through payments to court poor boxes in 2016, which was an increase on the almost €1.3m raised from the fines in 2015. In 2014, €2.1m from poor box payments and €1.9m in 2013.

Defendants are generally told by judges today into a court's poor box in lieu of a more serious penalty. The direction usually arises for minor offences which would not result in a custodial sentence.

Public order offences are the most common crimes for which the poor box option is given to defendants.

These include breaches of the peace, intoxication or disorderly conduct in a public place, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place or failing to comply with a direction from An Garda Siochana.

It is sometimes used for road traffic offences, first time, minor drug offences and offences against property or animals.

Judges regularly directs poor box payments to the Garda Benevolent Fund which provides financial support to the family of gardai.

[The Liffey Lip]

That's a natural occurrence when 75% of your recruits are female......PMPA politics.

[watty]

What's the point of an internal review?  To learn how to expand the 'charity' & gym construction to all Garda stations?

[silverbullet]

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/internal-review-after-16k-from-court-poor-box-used-to-buy-gym-equipment-for-garda-station-37872632.html

Internal review after €16k from court poor box used to buy gym equipment for garda station
   
Philip Ryan 
March 3 2019 5:30 PM
 
Gardai have launched an internal review into the purchase of €16,000 worth of gym equipment for a garda station which was bought using funding from a District Court poor box.

The review is also examining a €27,000 poor box payment used by the same station to buy a mini-bus for a community policing initiative.

The money for the bus was raised through two separate poor box payments from the District Court and Circuit Court.

Concerns about the payments were raised with senior gardai in recent days and are now being examined by Garda Headquarters.

Central to the review are concerns that proper procurement rules may not have been followed in the purchasing of the minibus and gym equipment.

It is understood the station at the centre of the internal review previously had a gym on site but this was closed to make way for a locker room for female gardai.

The decision to close the gym was unpopular with some members of the force.

In the past year, a building attached to the station was converted into a gym for the gardai.

As part of the effort to reinstate a gym at the station, a request was made to the local district court for poor box funding to buy equipment.

The request for the money is believed to have been made through a garda social club.

The judge granted the request late last year, according to a source familiar with the matter.

There is no suggestion the judge acted improperly in approving the funding to gardai.

However, senior gardai are concerned the money was used to make purchases which did not adhere to procurement rules for state agencies.

A garda spokesperson said: "This particular matter is subject to an internal review. In general, the decision on how money from the poor box is spent on particular projects is a matter for the presiding judge."

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan last year committed to abolishing the court poor box systems as he believes it "is no longer a fit place in justice administration".

More than €1.5m was raised through payments to court poor boxes in 2016, which was an increase on the almost €1.3m raised from the fines in 2015. In 2014, €2.1m from poor box payments and €1.9m in 2013.

Defendants are generally told by judges today into a court's poor box in lieu of a more serious penalty. The direction usually arises for minor offences which would not result in a custodial sentence.

Public order offences are the most common crimes for which the poor box option is given to defendants.

These include breaches of the peace, intoxication or disorderly conduct in a public place, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place or failing to comply with a direction from An Garda Siochana.

It is sometimes used for road traffic offences, first time, minor drug offences and offences against property or animals.

Judges regularly directs poor box payments to the Garda Benevolent Fund which provides financial support to the family of gardai.

A source in the Gardai said "It's a long time coming, but it was worth the weight!"

[Rat Catcher]

No danger of them converting the games room into a locker room for Ban Gardai and the like:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/russian-man-who-roamed-through-cork-garda-station-with-snooker-ball-was-checking-security-court-told-908662.html

Russian man who roamed through Cork garda station with snooker ball was 'checking security', court told

Monday, March 04, 2019 - 05:47 PM
By Liam Heylin

A snooker ball was taken from the recreational room of Cork’s main garda station by a Russian man who wanted to demonstrate that security could be breached.

That was how Putnik Neizvestny explained the snooker ball he was carrying when he approached the public desk of Anglesea Street garda station.

Neizvestny was fined €200 today for having cannabis in his possession during his unusual escapade at the garda station. Frank Buttimer solicitor said of the Russian: “He is doing much better in his life now. He was very bad a year ago.”

Judge Olann Kelleher, who recalled the case and the defendant’s appearances in court, said: “He was very ill.”

He was previously sentenced to three months in prison for the trespassing offence. Today the judge said he would dispense with the drugs charge, arising out of the same circumstances, with a fine.

Putnik Neizvestny claimed on the night that he was testing the security of the building for the gardaí. He now lives in the Greenmount area of Cork.

Sergeant John Kelleher said: “On July 29, 2017 at approximately 1.45am, Putnik Neizvestny presented at the public office of Angelsea Street garda station having entered the station via the rear car park and through the fire exit where bicycles are stored.

"He had gone to the third floor where he tried unsuccessfully to have access to the roof. He then circled the third floor, second floor and first floor before exiting the way he entered and walking into the lobby through the front door to the public hatch.

He told the guard on duty where he had been and said he was checking the security of the building.

"Garda Ben Denton searched the offender and found him in possession of a snooker ball which he claimed he had taken from the snooker room on the first floor as proof that he had been in the building without knowledge of the gardaí.”

The 42-year-old had some previous public order convictions and one older count of trespassing.

“He is an unusual gentleman who is most engaging. I have had conversations with him. He is highly intelligent, has excellent English and I don’t think he is offensive.

"He is demonstrative and expressive. He has admiration for the

[Shallowhal]

Very considerate russian alright...though i'd say the Gardai were slightly annoyed they didn't have to leave the station and put the beebaw on....although leaving the station can be traumatic for some of the boys in blue.