Road crash cops are 'snowed under'

THE Garda unit that investigates fatal road smashes has fewer than half the number of officers the organisation's own roads policing experts recommend, it's emerged.

- BY MICHAEL O'TOOLE Crime and Defence Editor in Killarney

The annual conference of the Garda Representative Association, which represents some 11,200 members of the force, also heard that the specialist officers are having to drive all over the country on jobs with one garda being sent from Tipperary to north Donegal.

The conference, held in Killarney, Kerry, heard yesterday the Roads Policing Bureau says there should be 24 Forensic Collision Investigators (FCIs) - but there are only 11.

That means the specially trained officers have such a massive workload that they can't provide the service they want to.

Garda Shane Bonner, who is based in south central Dublin and represents FCIs, says the problem needs fixing urgently. He said: "We're seeing a huge shortage of FCIs in the organisation at the moment.

"We're falling really, really short in what we're doing and what the service that the Garda Siochana are providing.