JOB DESCRIPTIONS from
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Police officer/An Garda Síochána
Job description
Typical employers
Modern policing entails much more than crime fighting.
Reducing the fear of crime and working in partnership
with communities are the keys to making a positive
difference and improving quality of life for all citizens.
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Members of An Garda Síochána operate on the front line,
supporting victims and witnesses, providing reassurance
and instilling confidence. Reserve Gardaí are volunteer
members within An Garda Síochána who provide support
to full-time members and help to strengthen links
between the force and local communities throughout the
country.
Police Service Northern Ireland
Career development
An Garda Síochána: After three years on normal
uniformed policing duties, members of the force can
apply for vacancies in specialist areas. These include a
wide variety of fields including community policing,
traffic control and regulation, public order, detective
duties, investigating organised crime, fraud and drugs
offences.
Work activities
The Irish police force has a clearly defined rank structure:
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Attending road traffic collisions
Responding to calls from the public
Dealing with victims of crime
Responding to serious public disorder incidents
Arresting offenders
Completing related paperwork.
Work conditions
Travel: a regular feature of the working day at lower
grades.
Working hours: regular unsocial hours including
weekends and evenings.
Location: mainly in towns or cities throughout the
country.
Opportunities for self-employment: not possible.
Garda
Sergeant
Inspector
Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Assistant Commissioner
Deputy Commissioner
Commissioner.
Entry requirements and training
An Garda Síochána: Minimum entry requirements is
Leaving Certificate with specified minimum grades in
Mathematics and in two languages one of which must be
either English or Irish.
The criteria for appointment as a Reserve member, in
respect of character, educational
(continued overleaf)
JOB DESCRIPTIONS from
For links to further information, jobs and career planning tools visit gradireland.com/careers-advice
Police officer/An Garda Síochána (continued)
qualifications,nationality and residence, will be broadly
the same as for a permanent member of An Garda
Síochána.
Specific degree subjects required
Open to non graduates and graduates of all disciplines.
Other relevant degree subjects
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Law
Psychology
Social science
Social work
Specific entry requirements
An Garda Síochána: Citizenship or residency requirements
must also be met. Applicants to join either the Reserve or
the permanent force will be vetted.
Candidates must be between 18 and 35 years of age and
must pass an exacting medical exam. Candidates must be
of good mental and bodily health and free from any
defect or abnormality likely to interfere with the efficient
performance of their duties. The requirement to be of a
specific height has been removed and replaced with a
physical competency test.
supervision of tutorial staff. After further training at the
College, students become members of the Service and are
attached to stations. While they are now empowered to
enforce legislation, they remain under probation for a
further two year period.
Reserve members receive more than 120 hours initial
training.
Tips for applications
Be physically fit. Membership of organisations such as
Civil Defence could be useful. Garda Interview Boards are
required to take into account the experience gained by
candidates who have worked with the Garda Reserve.
Skills and qualities
• Good communication skills
• Unfailingly honest, with a mature attitude and a high
level of social awareness
• Observant
• Decisive, able to remain calm in threatening situations,
yet capable of reacting quickly and taking action on
your own initiative.
• Willing to accept discipline and ability to work in a
team.
Training
An Garda Síochána: Basic training is divided into five
phases and lasts two years. Initially, students spend 22
weeks at the Garda College in Templemore followed by a
period of 24 weeks at selected stations under the direct
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