Students come before the courts – but on the right side of the law!

TRANSITION Year students from schools across the Bandon area got to swap their classrooms for the beat as they spent a week on work experience at the Divisional HQ of West Cork Garda Division in Bandon.

The 12 students from St Brogan’s College, Bandon Grammar School, Kinsale Community School, Hamilton High School and Coláiste na Toirbhirte got  a good taste of what An Garda Síochána has to offer in terms of career prospects.

The week was co-ordinated by Gda Frances Murphy, assisted by Community Garda Damian White and under the supervision of Chief Supt Con Cadogan who emphasised to the students that good practice and ethics are at the core of garda work in the community.

Over the course of a busy week the students received presentations from Juvenile Liaison Officer (JLO) James O’Mahony as well as from the Roads Policing Unit. They also had a talk from those in charge of the Property and Exhibits Management system as well as receiving a visit from the Garda Dog Unit and a Garda Analyst.

‘We had a detailed chat with recently qualified probationer gardaí, who outlined the recruitment process and the students also got to have a discussion with the Crime Prevention Officer as well as getting a briefing by the Drugs Unit,’ said Gda Damian White.

The students visited Anglesea Street garda station and got to observe the radio control room and the CCTV system that exists there. Members of the Armed Support Unit displayed and demonstrated their uniform and items of equipment much to the delight of the students.

‘We provided a tour of the Garda Station which included seeing interview rooms, fingerprint room, cells and they got a presentation on our custody regulations. They were also provided details of the integral part that civilians play in An Garda Síochána,’ added Gda White.

The students also met with members of the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit and they got first-hand experience in dusting for fingerprints. They got to attend Bandon District Court on their final day where Judge James McNulty addressed the students before court commenced.

Supt Brendan Fogarty emphasised to them the diverse range of opportunities that a career as a garda has to offer and he then presented each student with a certificate to mark their week’s work experience with An Garda Síóchána.

‘The feedback from the students was very enthusiastic and the seed of recruitment to a career in An Garda Síochána may well have been planted,’ said Gda White.