Chris Flood
Question:21 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has to tackle the serious crime wave in Dublin city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5385/95]
Written Answers. - Dublin City Crime.
In approaching a serious issue such as crime, we must be very careful to set out, correctly and precisely, the extent of the problem. We can never hope to reduce crime if we do not start out from the correct base. I fully understand that people are very concerned about the extent of crime but I have to say to the Deputy that the figures do not back his contention that there is a "serious crime wave".
The provisional figures for 1994 show a 2 per cent increase in indictable crime for the Dublin Metropolitan Area as a whole; crime is down 3 per cent in the Garda's Dublin South Division, down 1 per cent in the Dublin North Division and only very marginally up in the Dublin South Central Division.
We also compare very favourably with other European cities. Let me quote an independent source for you. The report of the Lord Mayor's Commission on Crime points out that crime figures for Dublin are below those of urban areas in England and Wales which, in turn, are below the Western European average. That same report shows that the level of crime in Dublin has not increased greatly since 1983. As I pointed out in an earlier answer, Dublin is a relatively safe city to visit, live and work in and it is very important that we retain a sense of balance and not fall into alarmist statements when discussing this often very emotive topic.
This is not to imply that I am, in any way, complacent about the crime problem. On the contrary, I have no illusions about the scale and extent of the problem and the deep underlying causes.
I propose to strengthen the law on crime. We are providing 210 extra prison spaces to reduce the level of early releases and a total of £413 million is being provided for the Garda Síochána this year — the highest amount ever — to allow the force to effectively tackle crime. This will enable the gardaí to take the following measures: the recruitment of 1,050 gardaí during the next three years; recruitment of an additional 200 civilian clerical/administrative staff to release an equivalent number of gardaí for operational duties; recruitment of civilians for certain specialist/managerial posts in the force; replacement of the Garda Fleet on a five year basis; implementation of an information technology plan for the Garda Síochána; upgrading of the Garda communications network; installation of closed circuit television cameras to combat crime in certain areas; further development of community based measures in areas of disadvantage, and measures to combat serious fraud, including the implementation of certain non-legal proposals of the Government's advisory committee on fraud.
This will ensure that the strength of the force is maintained at about 11,000 and it will also ensure that the Garda authorities have sufficient funding to purchase whatever equipment they require to tackle crime. In addition, I am most anxious, as is everybody else in the House to see gardaí reassigned from Border duty at the earliest opportunity. Assuming that the security situation remains as positive as it is at this time — I would expect worthwhile redeployment of Garda manpower and resources to take place during 1995.
I am pleased to say that over 400 gardaí were recruited last year and a further 1,050 gardaí will be recruited between now and the end of 1997 at the rate of 350 per year. I know that the Commissioner's policy is to deploy new gardaí to urban areas like Dublin where crime is most prevalent. For instance nearly three quarters of the most recent Garda graduates have been assigned to Dublin stations. The ratio of police to population in the Dublin Metropolitan Area has been and will be maintained at 1 to 260 which compares favourably with the national average of 1 to 320.
In addition, there are approximately 700 clerical civilian staff employed in the Garda Síochána at present. Additional funding is being provided between now and 1997 to employ a further 200 civilian staff in the Garda Síochána. All of these civilians will replace gardaí on a one for one basis, releasing them from administrative duties to perform the outdoor police work for which they were specially selected and trained. This will lead to a substantial increase in the operational strength of the Force.
A major information technology plan for the Force is now being finalised for implementation at a cost in excess of £26 million over the period 1994-1998. Implementation of the plan will also serve to release a significant number of gardaí for operational duties. The implementation of this IT plan will improve the efficiency of data processing in order to reduce Garda time spent on paper work and increase crime detection rates by improving access to information and provide an improved management information system.
A number of steps is also being taken to minimise the amount of Garda time spent in court. There are three Garda Inspectors attached to the Bridewell who have responsibility for co-ordinating Garda appearances in the Four Courts.
Additional funding is being provided this year towards the implementation of special measures to prevent and detect crime. One such measure is the installation of closed circuit TV cameras in areas of Dublin City centre as an aid to policing. The installation of a system in the Temple Bar area is the first such project to be undertaken on a priority basis. It is being funded jointly by the Department of Justice and Temple Bar Properties Limited in a spirit of partnership and co-operation.
The gardaí tell me that the international experience has been that the installation of these systems as an aid to policing reduces the level of crime in the area by at least 33 per cent and in some instances more. The international experience also shows that this leads to a genuine reduction in the level of crime — not just a displacement to another area.
I see projects such as this one as part of the answer to restoring safety to our city streets and to restoring public trust in the forces of law and order. Funding has been provided for the coming years to extend this scheme to other locations, such as O'Connell Street. Grafton Street, Henry Street in Dublin City and to other city centre areas and outlying areas as well. Fixed CCTV cameras will also be installed in chosen locations to detect and produce conclusive evidence for subsequent court proceedings of traffic offences, such as speeding.