Limerick Chamber has welcomed the sweeping changes announced by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris but has asked for the prioritising of getting more gardai back on the streets.
The Chamber has been extremely vocal in lobbying Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, through local public representatives, on the matter over recent months. It has been particularly focused on its call for private security services be hired for the District Courthouse on Mulgrave Street to free up gardai for community policing across the City and County.
Responding to Commissioner Harris’ announcement, CEO Dee Ryan welcomed the changes but urged that priority be given to frontline resourcing challenges like those currently being experienced in Limerick.
“The changes announced by Commissioner Harris have to be welcomed. Ultimately, they are about getting more gardai on the streets where the business community wants them. That’s something we applaud but the Commissioner indicated that it could take up to three years for all of the new changes to be implemented. We have a specific issue here in Limerick that needs to be addressed urgently and we cannot wait three years for it to happen,” she said.
Ms Ryan said that Limerick’s crime rate now compares favourably with that of other parts of the country. However, since the opening of the new Courthouse on Mulgrave Street, anywhere up to over four times more the number of gardai than previously required are being deployed on security duties – a function that is contracted out to a private security firm in Dublin Courthouses.
Community policing is critically important to businesses and employers across Limerick County and the Chamber believes that the deployment of important gardai resources to Mulgrave Street courthouse is diverting focus away from core policing duties.
“Business and the general public has to be concerned when you see Gardai resources drop by this much. The reality is that prior to the opening of the new Courthouse on Mulgrave street, one garda sergeant and three gardai were allocated to courts. Now there are four sergeants and up to 20 gardai.
“That has inevitable consequences for the garda presence in the region and, ultimately, impacts on community policing, which is a very effective crime prevention process. So, while we welcome Commissioner Harris’ changes, which are enlightened in the main, we want our specific issue acted on urgently.”
The Chamber, she said, will continue to engage with Gardai and Oireachtas members to get the necessary changes implemented as quickly as possible.
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