asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline his plans for community policing and progress to date in city and surburban areas.
17.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community Policing.
16.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will ensure that the necessary extra gardaí will be available to ensure the success of the pilot scheme in community policing in the Finglas area.
(Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 17 together.
Community policing can mean different things to different people but I assume that the Deputies have in mind the community or neighbourhood policing system known as Neighbourhood Watch about which there has been some recent publicity.
This system is essentially a network of public spirited people who observe what is going on in their own neighbourhood and report suspicious or unusual happenings to the Garda. In simple terms the civilian becomes the `eyes and ears' of the Force with a view to counteracting the activities of the criminal and the vandal. Street patrolling, with the inherent dangers of vigilantism, has no part to play in this system of neighbourhood protection.
The Garda authorities, with the cooperation of the local communities, are in the process of setting up the system on a pilot basis in the Finglas and Inner City areas. The system has also been explained to residents' associations in several other areas. The Garda authorities hope that the response from the public will be such that it will be possible in due course to establish Neighbourhood Watch throughout the community.
With regard to the question of additional gardaí for Finglas, the precise arrangements for policing particular areas are a matter for the Garda authorities. There has been a substantial increase in Garda strength in the Finglas area over the past few years and the Garda authorities are of the view that the increased strength should be sufficient to cater for the introduction of Neighbourhood Watch in the area.
I am further informed that the system will be monitored locally in any area where it is introduced and the police needs of those areas will be kept under review.
The Minister says he presumes we are talking about Neighbourhood Watch but this is only a small part of the community policing area and the question relates to community policing generally — the provision of police on the beat, the availability of gardaí on foot patrol in a community area on whatever basis is necessary round the clock. Would the Minister say what his plans are in terms of a reorientation of the deployment and operation of gardaí in relation to communities?
(Limerick East): Community policing obviously means different things to different people. I have previously informed the House and Deputy Woods that it is the policy of the Garda Commissioner, which I support, that the maximum number of gardaí should be in uniform on the beat in our cities and towns and that there should be close contact between individuals and gardaí on the beat. There is evidence of this change in policy in Dublin and other major cities where a higher proportion of gardaí are to be seen on the beat than before. This process is aided by the fact that many new recruits are now coming from training in Templemore and a high proportion of them are being allocated to the Dublin metropolitan area.
I accept what the Minister says about the increase in numbers and both sides of the House have been committed to this policy. Can those communities which have not been given additional gardaí on the beat have any hope of community policing as a reality in their areas? We have recently been given figures to the effect that only an additional 62 Garda members will be appointed for the rest of the year.
(Limerick East): I do not think that community watch or formulated schemes of community policing should be imposed on communities. The initiative should come from the communities and the Garda should be willing to co-operate with them.
Would the Minister not agree that the success of the community watch idea depends on the ability of the Garda to respond to reports made to them by people in the area? If there is considered to be a need in the Finglas area for additional gardaí to assist the community watch, would the Minister be prepared to allow the necessary arrangements to be made to so provide?
(Limerick East): Garda strength at Finglas station has been increased substantially in recent years. For example, at 31 December 1981 it comprised one detective-sergeant, seven sergeants, four detective-gardaí and 34 gardaí making a total of 46 while on 27 February 1984 the figures were, one detective-sergeant, eight sergeants, four detective-gardaí and 46 gardaí making a total of 59. That represents an increase of 13 gardaí in the area in that time. However, the situation will be kept under review and gardaí will be allocated by the Commissioner to the areas in which he considers there is the most need for them.