Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:162 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the high crime areas in Dublin city in which nightly foot and mobile patrols are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23783/03]
Adjournment Debate. - Garda Deployment.
I am informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, that 24-hour foot and mobile patrols are carried out by Garda personnel working the regular three-relief system in each division throughout the Dublin metropolitan region. Each district is divided up into a number of foot beats, based on population and crime trends. Community police units which work between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. the following day augment these patrols. Other uniform patrols include divisional crime task force and divisional traffic units. Plain clothes personnel also patrol in each district. All foot and mobile patrols are regularly examined with a view to ensuring the optimum level of Garda service.
In addition to regular uniformed and non-uniformed patrolling of the city centre, a new city centre policing initiative was launched on 9 June 2003 by the Assistant Garda Commissioner for the Dublin metropolitan region. This initiative provides a high visibility policing presence in specific target areas in the north and south inner city centre areas. It targets issues of concern such as public order, assaults, street theft, shoplifting and drug addicts. Another initiative, Operation Boulevard, which targets anti-social behaviour in the environs of O'Connell Street, is also in operation.
In May of this year, the National Crime Council published its report Public Order Offences In Ireland. Based on analysis of public order offences in Dublin, the researchers found that over half were concentrated in 18 streets in the centre of the city. These streets typically included the main entertainment areas and thoroughfares of the city centre, and were centred on the O'Connell Street-Grafton Street axis of the city centre.