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THE GUARDS ***FINAL***

The Guards 6 Image Name: The Guards 6 Description: The Guards - Sgt Ciaran Whelan, Gardas Joseph Heaphy, John Donnelly, Louise Moran and Noel Gibbons. Copyright: Picture Conor McCabe Photography
The Guards 5 Image Name: The Guards 5 Description: The Guards - Sgt Ciaran Whelan with Gardas Joseph Heaphy, John Donnelly, Louise Moran and Noel Gibbons. Copyright: Picture Conor McCabe Photography
The Guards 4 Image Name: The Guards 4 Description: The Guards - Sgt Ciaran Whelan with Gardas John Donnelly, Joseph Heaphy, Louise Moran and Noel Gibbons. Copyright: Picture Conor McCabe Photography
The Guards 3 Image Name: The Guards 3 Description: The Guards - Sgt Ciaran Whelan with Gardas Caitriona Brody, Louise Moran, John Donnelly, Noel Gibbons and Joseph Heaphy. Copyright: Picture Conor McCabe Photography
The Guards 2 Image Name: The Guards 2 Description: The Guards - Garda Noel Gibbons & Garda John Donnelly Copyright: Picture Conor McCabe Photography
The Guards 1 Image Name: The Guards 1 Description: The Guards - Garda John Donnelly, Community Policing. Copyright: Pic: Conor McCabe Photography

The Guards, Episode Two, RTÉ2, May 24th at 9.55pm

Out on the streets of Dublin we witness first-hand the variety of challenging situations that arise every day on the frontline.

Members of the force speak candidly about the aggression and violence they’ve experienced first-hand as well as their passion for the job and their desire to make a difference.

The film shows how the criminal justice system struggles to deal with some repeat offenders who avail of bail even after being caught red-handed and features footage of serious assaults, including incidents in which unarmed frontline officers intervene to protect members of the public.

Our cameras witness the highs and lows, from the individual struggles, to the camaraderie and friendship that helps them get through their toughest challenges.

Series Overview

For the first time, this two-part series shadows the work of Gardaí dealing with issues from drug dealing and street crime, to the policing of major public events.

With exclusive access to officers working on the ground, the series provides a never-before-seen insight into the scale and variety of work facing Gardaí in the city centre.

The Guards also documents the role of community-based policing and how An Garda Síochána interact with a wide-range of communities in Dublin.

The film was made over a period of two years by RTE’s Barry O’Kelly and Zucca Films. It is the first documentary of its kind to gain exclusive access to garda operational units. This two part series will conclude with a second episode tackling public order, street crime and policing large scale events to be broadcast on Tuesday, May 24th at 9.55pm on RTÉ2.