Written Answers. - Community Policing Fora.
Joe Costello
Question:
386
Mr. Costello
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
his proposals for establishing community policing fora throughout the country; the location of each policing forum in existence; the level of funding awarded to date from his Department to each policing forum; the criteria used for awarding grants from his Department; the management structures in place for the organisations in receipt of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29775/03]
A number of community policing fora have arisen in the context of the national drugs strategy. There are two such fora operating on a pilot basis under the aegis of the north inner city and Finglas-Cabra local drugs task forces respectively. The Garda Commissioner also established the Kevin Street community policing forum on a pilot basis following upon extensive consultations between gardaí and community interests. No specific allocation of funding has been made for this forum.
The first two of these fora are funded via the local drug task force initiative. Under this initiative, funding for local drug task force sponsored projects is provided by the lead Department for the national drugs strategy, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, via an appropriate State agency identified to act as a channel of funding during each project's pilot phase. After this phase, projects are independently evaluated and assessed for mainstreaming by the appropriate state agency.
The north inner city community policing fora was established in 1999 and operates in Dublin's north-east inner city area. The project receives annual funding of €53,329 and Dublin City Council has acted as the channel of funding to the project to date. The council have recently indicated that, in line with the standard procedures in place under the drugs initiative, they will mainstream this project in 2004. A management board consisting of representatives of the Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council, the local drugs task force, the local community and public representatives oversee the work of the forum.
In addition, under the drugs initiative, the north inner city local drugs task force has received approval for funding of €64,198 to establish an additional pilot project which involves extending the work of the policing fora within the task force area. Dublin City Council will again act as the channel of funding to this project during its pilot phase.
Similarly, a community policing forum under the aegis of the Finglas-Cabra local task force has been established as a pilot project this year. In this instance, and under the same processes outlined above, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in conjunction with Garda community relations division, acts as the channel of funding to the project which receives an annual allocation of €50,790 during its pilot phase.
The catchment area for the forum is Cabra and a company limited by guarantee has been established to take legal responsibility for the work of the forum. The board of directors of the forum contains representation from the community of Cabra, the Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council, the local drugs task force and the local business community.
The Deputy's question inquires of my proposals for establishing community policing fora throughout the country. It should be noted that action 11 of the national drugs strategy commits the Garda Síochána: "to extend the Community Policing Fora initiative to all local Drugs Task Force areas if the evaluation of the pilot proves positive" and to consider whether such fora should also be set up in regional areas under the aegis of the newly established regional drugs task force.
My position on this to date has been that this action and the overall growth of community policing fora in general needs to be delivered in the context of the development of an appropriate policy framework for what are relatively new partnership structures involving the Garda, local authorities and local communities. Such a framework will ensure that such fora can be appropriately developed in a consistent and properly planned manner rather than thead hoc way in which they have tended to emerge in a number of different contexts to date.
Work is well under way on the development of such a policy framework which will facilitate progress in this area. The Deputy will be aware of the publication of the draft scheme of a Garda Síochána Bill 2003 earlier this year. This Bill represents the most significant legislative reform of Garda structures since the foundation of the State. Included in its draft provisions are mechanisms for enhanced co-operation between the Garda and local authorities through the establishment, on a statutory basis, of policing committees. It is intended that such committees will act as fora where matters relating to all aspects of policing can be discussed and where strategies and recommendations for dealing with issues arising locally can be decided. It is intended that these policing committees will facilitate the establishment of local policing fora to address specific issues in local areas. Furthermore, the recent report of the National Crime Council on tackling crime via a partnership approach also sets out recommendations in this respect including the establishment of a national crime prevention model. The model which emerges via these initiatives will better facilitate the input of local communities in tackling crime at local level in partnership with the relevant statutory agencies.
