Richie Morrison, a garda from Dublin, took to Facebook today to vent his frustration at the state of affairs pertaining to the conditions he finds himself in as a member of an garda siochana.
Morrison’s post has already started to go viral. Here’s what he had to say:
“I have had my life threatened dozens of times, I’ve been insulted daily, I’ve been spat at, punched, kicked, bitten. I’ve had shotgun rounds left for me with my name on them, I’ve had to leave my family on Christmas mornings and new years eve and go to work for 10 hours. I’ve worked 7 nights in a row and then try to get my body clock back to normal to be back to work a day and a half later. I’ve worked 22 hour shifts. I’ve cut down dead bodies hanging from trees and balconies, I’ve been first on scene to fatal traffic accidents including decapitations. I’ve had to break the news to families that their child, brother, sister, father has died tragically and I have teared up while they hug me as there world comes crashing down. I’ve had to identify the body of dead babies to the state pathologist. I have in fact been completely and utterly desensitised to death.
I have endured so many nightmares where I screamed myself awake that I have lost count after the first 100.
I’ve saved 2 lives using my CPR training, I’ve pulled people back over bridges as they attempted to commit suicide. I have talked people out of killing themselves. I have to wear protective vests in case I’m stabbed or shot. I’ve had my car scratched outside my work place. I’ve been injured in high speed patrol car crashes. I’ve had to work hours which were deemed illegal by the European courts. I have to go to court on my days off. I’ve had to be Gaoler and be in charge of the custody of rapists and murderers and had to force myself to be nice to them.
I have had colleagues shot and murdered for nothing. I had to arrest a 6′ 2″ man who bet up his 5′ 4” girlfriend who told me she “fell” because she was scared of him.
I have had so many cases on the go at the same time that i couldn’t sleep thinking and worrying about them. I’ve had more taxes and pension levies put on my pay than any private entity. I’ve paid 45% of some of my paychecks on tax because I worked overtime which I was directed to work. I was directed to work 30hrs extra per year for free by the government.
I then have to listen to the ignorance of people screaming abuse in my face stating “I pay my taxes so i pay your wages” when in fact i contribute more towards paying my wages than they do.
Everything I do, both on and off duty is constantly under the scrutiny of the Ombudsman and the media.
I am being very honest here and every sentence of the above is 100% hand on heart true and these are only the tip of the iceberg of my own experiences. But I am only 1 out if 13,500. All of whom have had their own various experiences.
We do all of the above day in, day out, taking on people’s burdens as our own, 99% of the time without so much as a thank you, nor do we expect one, as most of the people in the area I work have inherited a hatred towards us because crime is the norm to them and they don’t like being told otherwise.
There are times in everybody’s life when they are dealing with a nightmare situation. Well each of these rare nightmare incidents are what we deal with on a day to day basis, all the while struggling to keep a forced smile on our faces.
I don’t usually talk about my job on Facebook. But until a person has experienced all of the above, nobody can put a value or monetise these things I have had to do. The Government has taken 16% from us since the recession, have increased our workload, and have given nothing back. I wish they could be put in a uniform for just one week so they could open their eyes.”
What do you think of what he had to say?