Dublin's prime shopping areas, including Grafton Street, are to get closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras by Christmas.
Poles for some of the 12 cameras are being erected and the system will become operational once minor cabling problems are dealt with. It will cost about £250,000. Based on experience in Temple Bar, gardai claim the cameras could reduce crime by about 60 per cent.
The cameras will be used as part of the new South King Street and Grafton Street Business Watch Scheme, launched yesterday by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue. The initiative is similar to a neighbourhood watch scheme for businesses in the area.
According to gardai, the scheme is aimed mainly at shoplifting, handbag snatching, pickpocketing and armed robbery.
Gardai at Pearse Street, who have responsibility for CCTV in the city centre, said the system could become operational weeks before Christmas.
Among the locations where cameras will be placed are: South King Street; the junction of Grafton Street and Nassau Street; the entrance to Chatham Street; the junction of Exchequer Street and Wicklow Street; Stephen's Street Lower; South Great George's Street; outside the St Stephen's Green shopping centre and at the intersection of Merrion Row and St Stephen's Green.
The camera outside the St Stephen's Green shopping centre will be capable of observing as far as the Shelbourne Hotel.
Once the cameras are operating, gardai will be able to observe a person walking from St Stephen's Green to the top of Parnell Square on the north side, said Sgt Frank Dunleavey.
Mr O'Donoghue said: "The experience here and abroad with CCTV as a crime prevention and detection aid has been very positive. Business interests have reported very significant reductions in on-street crime such as handbag snatching and pickpocketing.
"I am also advised that assaults and drug-dealing have dropped very appreciably where the cameras are in place."