An Garda Siochana
| An Garda Síochána | |
|---|---|
| Common name | Gardaí |
Shield of An Garda Síochána
|
|
| Motto | Working with communities to protect and serve (Irish: Ag obair le Pobail chun iad a chosaint agus chun freastal orthu) |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 22 February 1922 |
| Preceding agencies | |
| Employees | 16,328 (total) 13,093 sworn members 2,071 civilian staff 1,164 reserves |
| Annual budget | €1.426 billion (2015) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Ireland |
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| An Garda Síochána area of jurisdiction in dark blue | |
| Size | 70,273 km² |
| Population | 4,588,252 (2011) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin |
| Officers | 14,257 (incl. 1,164 reserves) |
| Civilians | 2,071 |
| Elected officer responsible | Frances Fitzgerald (T.D.), Minister for Justice and Equality |
| Agency executive | Nóirín O'Sullivan, Garda Commissioner |
| Regions |
6
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| Facilities | |
| Stations | 564 |
| Vehicles | 2,390 |
| Boats | Garda Water Unit |
| Aircraft | 2 helicopters 1 fixed-wing surveillance aircraft |
| Canines | Garda Dog Unit |
| Horses | Garda Mounted Unit |
| Website | |
| www |
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| Footnotes | |
| ^ "Working with Communities to Protect and Serve" is described as mission statement rather than formal motto | |
An Garda Síochána (Irish pronunciation: [ən ˈɡaːrd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə]; meaning "the Guardian of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí or "the guards" ([ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠiː] "Guardians"), is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish government. Its headquarters are in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
The force was originally named the Civic Guard in English, but in 1923 it became An Garda Síochána in both English and Irish. This is usually translated as "the Guardian(s) of the Peace".Garda Síochána na hÉireann ("of Ireland", Irish pronunciation: [ˈɡaːrd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ]) appears on its logo but is seldom used elsewhere.
The full official title of the force is rarely used in speech. How it is referred to depends on the register being used. It is variously known as An Garda Síochána; the Garda Síochána; the Garda; the Gardaí (plural); and it is popularly called "the guards". Although Garda is singular, in these terms it is used as a collective noun, like police.
An individual officer is called a garda (plural gardaí), or, informally, a "guard". A police station is called a Garda station. Garda is also the name of lowest rank within the force (e.g. "Garda John Murphy", analogous to the British term "constable" or the American "officer", "deputy", "trooper", etc.). "Guard" is the most common form of address used by members of the public speaking to a garda on duty. A female officer was once officially referred to as a bangharda ([ˈbˠanˌɣaːɾˠd̪ˠə]; "female guard"; plural banghardaí). This term was abolished in 1990, but is still used colloquially in place of the now gender-neutral garda.
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Wikipedia