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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Jun 1988

Vol. 382 No. 1

Written Answers. - Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.

69.

asked the Minister for Justice the approximate number of neighbourhood watch schemes in Dublin city; and if he has any evidence to support the view that there has been a reduction in crime in the areas where the scheme operates.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are 476 neighbourhood watch schemes, involving some 127,000 households, in operation in the Dublin Metropolitan Area.

It is not possible to attribute, with certainty, a change in the level of criminal activity to any particular measure such as neighbourhood watch. However, the Garda authorities consider that neighbourhood watch is playing a significant role in reducing crime, particularly residential burglaries which dropped by about 30 per cent between 1983 and 1987.

I want however to make the point, that the benefits of neighbourhood watch should not be gauged by statistics alone. The Garda authorities are satisfied that the scheme has been particularly successful in involving the community in crime prevention, in enhancing Garda/community relations and in promoting a greater sense of security especially among the more vulnerable members of the community.

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