Garda closed-circuit video surveillance of Dublin city centre is to be extended to a total of 58 cameras covering the busiest pedestrian areas from St Stephen's Green to Parnell Square.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, announced the extension of the surveillance to cover Grafton Street and other shopping streets in the area from Dame Street to St Stephen's Green and Merrion Square. The capital cost of the cameras is being met jointly by the Exchequer and the Dublin City Centre Business Association.
Site inspections are beginning for the new CCTV locations, and the 14 new cameras are expected to be in place within a year.
There are already 16 cameras covering the Temple Bar, Trinity College and O'Connell Bridge area south of the Liffey. A further 34 cameras on the north side of the Liffey cover an area bounded by Capel Street, Amiens Street and Parnell Square.
Gardai in Pearse Street and O'Connell Street stations monitor banks of screens showing pictures from the cameras, which have powerful zoom lenses and can identify known street thieves. Gardai report that these cameras were of major assistance in deterring street crime, particularly robberies on shoppers and tourists. Between 1996, when the first cameras were installed north and south of the Liffey, gardai noticed a reduction in street crime. Dublin South Central Division recorded a 16 per cent fall in recorded crime and the North Central Division recorded a 17 per cent decrease.
The success in reducing crime has led to the decision to extend the scheme to the Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green area. The extension of the scheme was announced yesterday in Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street by the Minister, along with the head of the Garda's Dublin Metropolitan Area, Assistant Commissioner Jim McHugh.
The Minister said the success of the Dublin CCTV system had created nationwide interest and about 20 provincial towns had put forward proposals for such systems. These were being considered on their merits, Mr O'Donoghue said.
He went on: "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, pickpocketing and general rowdyism. I am also advised that assaults, drug-dealing and so forth have also dropped very appreciably where the cameras are in place.
"In some instances, overall reductions in crime committed of between one-third and one-half have been suggested. From the consumers' point of view - that is shoppers and visitors - I am advised that CCTV is greatly welcomed in that it creates a safer environment in which people can go about their daily business in the knowledge that criminal elements are unlikely to take a chance with CCTV.
"I am confident that the system will make an equally positive contribution to reducing crime in Grafton Street and the surrounding areas as it has done elsewhere in the city."