Garda shake-up risks breaking vital community trust

Ireland’s new divisional policing model is under fire for severing ties between gardaí and local communities. Representative bodies say the shift from a district-based structure to larger, regional units is damaging morale, stretching resources thin, and undermining public trust. In rural areas, communities no longer recognise their local officers—nor do the officers know their patch.

Policing leaders warn that the model is creating dangerous silos within the force, hampering coordination and eroding confidence in both leadership and discipline systems. Calls for reform are growing louder, particularly amid unresolved issues in recruitment, pursuit training, and a culture of excessive suspensions.

It’s a wake-up call about the risks of centralisation without stakeholder trust. When institutional change disconnects those on the ground from the communities they serve, reputational damage and operational inefficiencies follow.

Read the full article for insight into the risks of misaligned reform.