Garda Down Under

Garda Down Under is the story of life on the beat for Irish officers working in Western Australia, the largest police district in the world. So large, in fact, that the island of Ireland would fit in there 30 times over. This vast expanse needs policing and with a rapidly growing population thanks to a mining boom, the WA government looked overseas, aggressively recruiting experienced officers from other jurisdictions. The GardaĂ­, regarded as highly trained by the Australian police force, were among their prime targets. Since 2005, 30 GardaĂ­ have decided to pack up and head for sunnier climes, leaving recession-hit Ireland behind for a new life as cops in booming WA. For the first time ever, the WA Police Department have opened their doors to our cameras. With unique and unhindered access, we get an exclusive look at how crime fighters operate down under.