Overview
- The public release of the Crowe Report shows most Roads Policing Unit members are professional and effective but identifies a minority unproductive gardaí undermining unit performance.
- It criticizes a constrained interpretation of the Performance, Accountability and Learning Framework that has discouraged supervisors from proactively managing and sanctioning poorly performing officers.
- The report notes staffing in roads policing is down by about 40% since 2009, reducing supervisory cover and limiting patrol capacity across six divisions.
- Investigators found many patrol vehicles with high mileages and reported gaps in driver and specialist training, which, coupled with a focus on checkpoints, has weakened proactive enforcement.
- Garda management, the Garda Representative Association and government officials are poised to act on its recommendations, concentrating on performance policy, supervisory capacity and resource allocations.