I know that there are some serving and former members on here, so I'm going to post this story we did last week about a Garda Sgt who died at the age of 34 last wednesday. He was a great detective and a lot of lads knew him. He will be missed:
GARDAI have been left stunned by the sudden death of a highly respected officer, at the age of just 34.
Sergeant Kevin Stratford, who died on Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer, was one of the best known and most active gardai in Dublin.
Sgt Stratford spent much of his short career as a detective in north inner Dublin where he earned a reputation amongst criminals as someone to be feared and respected at the same time.
Just last year, he single-handedly chased two men who had robbed a publican in Castleknock.
He pursued the gangsters until he caught them in Finglas, arrested them and recovered the E60,000 they had stolen.
On another occasion, he and colleague Detective Garda Kevin Keyes were on patrol in an unmarked car on Dorset Street in the city centre when they saw a white man racially abusing a black man.
They stopped their car, arrested the racist and charged him with a breach of the peace.
The offender, a former Air Corps officer, was later jailed for a month.
Sgt Stratford, who had been promoted in February last year, had been ill for around almost a year, but had started to recover from the illness.
He had been slated to go to work in Blanchardstown Garda station, where he was based since his promotion, last Monday, but he fell ill again and died on Wednesday evening.
Sgt Stratford joined the force in 1993 and served as a uniform officer at the Bridewell and Fitzgibbon Street stations for six years, before becoming a detective in 1999.
He spent most of his career as a detective in Mountjoy Garda station, where he earned a reputation as a tenacious investigator.
“He was an extremely active officer, he loved getting his teeth into cases.
“And when he was involved, you knew the investigation would end up with the wrongdoer appearing in court – he nearly always got his man,” one colleague said yesterday.
His brother John and Aidan are both Gardai and his father Willie is a retired Garda Inspector, while his mother Mary was also a Garda.
Detective Superintendent Hubert Collins, who worked with Sgt Stratford in Blanchardstown and Fitzgibbon Street, paid tribute to him yesterday.
D/Supt Collins said: “He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and work colleagues.
“He was a fine officer, a thorough professional.
“He was highly respected in the force and respected and feared by criminals.”
GARDAI have been left stunned by the sudden death of a highly respected officer, at the age of just 34.
Sergeant Kevin Stratford, who died on Wednesday night after a long battle with cancer, was one of the best known and most active gardai in Dublin.
Sgt Stratford spent much of his short career as a detective in north inner Dublin where he earned a reputation amongst criminals as someone to be feared and respected at the same time.
Just last year, he single-handedly chased two men who had robbed a publican in Castleknock.
He pursued the gangsters until he caught them in Finglas, arrested them and recovered the E60,000 they had stolen.
On another occasion, he and colleague Detective Garda Kevin Keyes were on patrol in an unmarked car on Dorset Street in the city centre when they saw a white man racially abusing a black man.
They stopped their car, arrested the racist and charged him with a breach of the peace.
The offender, a former Air Corps officer, was later jailed for a month.
Sgt Stratford, who had been promoted in February last year, had been ill for around almost a year, but had started to recover from the illness.
He had been slated to go to work in Blanchardstown Garda station, where he was based since his promotion, last Monday, but he fell ill again and died on Wednesday evening.
Sgt Stratford joined the force in 1993 and served as a uniform officer at the Bridewell and Fitzgibbon Street stations for six years, before becoming a detective in 1999.
He spent most of his career as a detective in Mountjoy Garda station, where he earned a reputation as a tenacious investigator.
“He was an extremely active officer, he loved getting his teeth into cases.
“And when he was involved, you knew the investigation would end up with the wrongdoer appearing in court – he nearly always got his man,” one colleague said yesterday.
His brother John and Aidan are both Gardai and his father Willie is a retired Garda Inspector, while his mother Mary was also a Garda.
Detective Superintendent Hubert Collins, who worked with Sgt Stratford in Blanchardstown and Fitzgibbon Street, paid tribute to him yesterday.
D/Supt Collins said: “He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and work colleagues.
“He was a fine officer, a thorough professional.
“He was highly respected in the force and respected and feared by criminals.”
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