I raise this matter to ensure the Government encourages the Garda authorities to increase the number of policing fora, particularly in Dublin, and to look on this as a transitional period as it moves towards a scenario where all districts will have a district policing board similar to that envisaged in the Patten report for the Six Counties. Patten's recommendations set the minimum standard that this State should try to achieve so that policing issues can be dealt with in an accountable and transparent manner. The Garda should be democratically accountable.
I have attended a number of meetings of the Rialto policing forum and I have found them to be useful and enlightening but the problem is the forum has no powers or resources. If such fora are not resourced and are not given specific issues to address and on which they can have an effect, they will not gain the confidence of their communities and will become no more than talking shops. Proper policing fora or boards are required which are democratically accountable and which make decisions on resources, location of Garda stations, the number of gardaí deployed in the area and even the priorities of local policing. Gardaí are more interested in traffic matters than in drug dealing taking place next to them. Such issues are of major concern to communities.
The Garda's policing plan for 2003 states, "The Community Relations Section will continue to support the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 by preparing proposals for a new model for community policing forum and consolidating the best aspects of the forum experience." There have been positive aspects but the fora have not had a major effect on the areas in which they have been operating. Hopefully, they will because the work of the people and the gardaí who have attended the fora is commendable but it is not worth it if there are no results at the end of the day.
Ballyfermot is my area and it has a drug task force. The area suffers from major crime problems, including drug dealing, car theft and so on. Ballyfermot does not have a policing forum but the local Garda inspector is willing to meet all community groups on an ongoing basis. However, there is no statutory basis for such meetings and when the next inspector comes along it might be different. District fora or boards should be put on a statutory footing to stem the loss of confidence and trust in policing that has crept in gradually in certain areas because the Garda has not been resourced properly to respond to emergency and other calls. The Garda must be able to call on resources to tackle crime. Money should not be spent on guarding politicians, traffic duty and so on. The Minister plans pilot programmes to address traffic issues but, hopefully, he will put more effort and time into community policing fora and put them on a statutory footing.