Bernard Allen
Ceist:130 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the steps he has taken to deal with crime and vandalism problems in (1) Cork city and (2) County Cork.
Written Answers. - Cork Crime Prevention.
I would refer the Deputy to the 1992 Law Enforcement Package which was published in December 1991 and in which the measures that would be taken this year in preserving law and order and protecting the community against crime were outlined. In relation to urban crime there will be an increased emphasis by all the relevant agencies, but in particular the Garda, on practical measures to deal with crime problems being experienced in certain urban areas. A multi-disciplinary approach will be taken to the underlying problems of certain areas under particular pressure and this approach will be based in part on the advice of a recently established interdepartmental group of senior officials and gardaí which have already commenced their examination of the issues involved. In addition, the Garda assessment of policing requirements in areas of greatest difficulty will be updated on a continuing basis so that effective responses can be provided as and when required.
The Garda authorities inform me that a specific plan of action has been drawn up to deal with the crime problems being experienced in the Cork area. This plan includes the closer co-ordination and use of foot and mobile patrols, frequent use of checkpoints at various locations at unpredictable intervals, the surveillance of suspects and the targeting of Garda resources to meet specific anti-crime needs in particular areas.
In addition, plain clothes gardaí are now being deployed throughout the area in an operation designed to tackle the problem of burglaries and larcenies while special attention is also being focused on schools and other vulnerable locations.
Regional crime conferences are being held regularly between officers of the Munster Division to co-ordinate anti-crime activity in the area. Certain other specific measures have been taken also by the Garda authorities but it would not be in the interest of effective crime prevention or detection to provide any details in relation to them.
The role to be played by the community is of course vital also. The Garda authorities in the Cork divisions have stepped up their promotion of crime prevention measures, using all available opportunities, including local radio, to advise the public on sensible crime prevention precautions which they can take. There are ten community policing schemes in operation in the area. These schemes are working extremely well with very encouraging co-operation from the public. The public are also very actively involved with neighbourhood watch and community alert schemes which are being promoted and developed on an on-going basis by the Garda. There are now 76 neighbourhood watch schemes in the Cork area and 55 community alert schemes. There are seven Garda juvenile liaison officers active in Cork and, indeed, this is one of the most successful juvenile liaison officer programmes in this jurisdiction. Later this year the Garda schools programme is being extended to Cork. This programme helps to remind primary school children of the dangers of substance abuse and raises their consciousness of road safety and discourages vandalism and juvenile offending generally.
The probation and welfare service of my Department is also highly active in the Cork area. Three senior probation officers and 16 probation officers are based in Cork and are supervising several hundred offenders there under probation orders and community service orders. I should stress that the offenders in question are all being dealt with by the probation service under the orders of the court. The probation service use all the community based facilities in Cork for young people and runs a probation Hostel on Patrick's Hill. The success rate of community service orders in terms of completing the task given and not re-offending during the period of the order is at present computed at about 86 per cent. Probation orders, which can be for up to three years, have also proven highly effective in treating offenders and avoiding their re-offending.
I am confident that the action by my Department, the courts and the Garda to deal with crime in Cork will meet with success and I can assure the House that the situation is being kept under constant review by the Garda authorities.