It should not be difficult for Fianna Fail to muster support for its policy of "zero tolerance" towards crime. For tens of thousands of people who have been victims of crime not to mention their families, friends and relatives the notion of a tough, unyielding approach to all lawbreakers has an understandable appeal. The evidence would also suggest that public attitudes to law enforcement are also changing.
After decades in which the citizens of a relatively new State viewed the law with some suspicion, the Irish public is now moving much more in step with societies which have a longer tradition of support for the rule of law. It acknowledges the need for tougher law enforcement for the overall good of society. Operation Freeflow, the Garda plan to smooth the traffic flow in Dublin, was, for example, actually welcomed by an exasperated public even though it necessarily involved much tougher enforcement of the road traffic laws.
The Garda, and indeed successive governments, have been slow to recognise the potency of this new mood. The continued presence of criminal gangs selling illegal tobacco on some of Dublin's main shopping streets is an affront to the honest citizen. And the paucity of prosecutions for serious tax offences may also be out of step with a public that now expects to see the law applied rigorously and all round.
This is not to argue the case for "zero tolerance" but to make the argument for tougher enforcement to ensure that the law is not brought into disrepute. The concept of "zero tolerance", at least on the New York model, involves a concerted push against all forms of crime, petty and serious alike. If applied vigorously in this State, it could - in the words of the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne produce a situation in which "every beggar and busker" and fare dodger is being actively pursued by the Garda. Clearly, this would make no sense where both the legal system and the prisons are already vastly overburdened.
In this context, the assertion by Fianna Fail's spokesman on Justice Mr John O'Donoghue, that "zero tolerance" will not greatly increase the pressure on prison space is difficult to sustain. The suspicion lingers that the party has seized on a catchy "solution" to the crime problem - without much in the way of back up evidence or research. Indeed, the whole controversy again underlines the need for detailed research on the levels of crime. How can there be a serious attempt to address criminality when the nature and depth of our crime problem are largely unknown? As it is, there is the strong sense that Fianna Fail is casting around for a quick fix to the crime problem. It will need to give a great deal more thought and consideration to "zero tolerance" if it wants the proposal to be taken seriously.
The Garda Commissioner, meanwhile, should be commended for his strong intervention in the controversy. His outspoken approach is in marked contrast to the more conservative attitude of some of his predecessors. Mr Byrne's comments have helped to ensure that all the issues surrounding the "zero tolerance" proposal have been properly ventilated. It is to be hoped that the Commissioner will intervene just as strongly on all other aspects of the debate on crime.