Election 2024

General election explainer: What are the big issues in the areas of crime and policing?

There are concerns the Garda is perhaps becoming more distant from the people and can no longer provide the same service it once did

Over the last two decades the closure of Garda stations has been a very unpopular development that has only served to underline the feeling of vulnerability of some communities, especially in rural areas
Over the last two decades the closure of Garda stations has been a very unpopular development that has only served to underline the feeling of vulnerability of some communities, especially in rural areas
Conor Lally's picture
Conor Lally
Thu Nov 28 2024 - 15:30

Crime very often dominates the news cycle and political discourse when an especially shocking or violent series of offending takes place. Gangland feuding, the riots in Dublin 12 months ago, far right-related disorder and murders force the issue – and people’s fears – to the fore.

However, even when major criminal events are not on the front pages policing and issues like antisocial behaviour, street drug dealing and reportedly higher levels of aggression are never far from people’s minds in many parts of the country.

There are concerns the Garda force is perhaps becoming more distant from the people it was designed to serve and protect, at least that it can no longer provide the same service it once did. So what are the big issues facing the Republic in the areas of crime and policing at the general election?

Garda numbers

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The number of sworn members in the force was as high as 14,700 in the early months of 2020; a record high. But then the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, was forced to close because of pandemic-related restrictions. Due to retirements and resignations numbers steadily declined – to 13,890 by November of last year. And though recruitment has long resumed numbers were still at 14,125 by the end of September.

Failure to increase the strength of the force – especially amid population growth – is stretching the capacity of the Garda. Very often it is impossible to muster full strength units for run-of-the-mill duties on the streets of towns and cities. And specialist units are under the same pressure. It all leads to poor outcomes in investigations and slower response times to emergencies.

Rural policing

Over the last two decades the closure of Garda stations has been a very unpopular development that has only served to underline the feeling of vulnerability of some communities, especially in rural areas. Even though violent attacks against the elderly in their own homes, for example, are rare, one or two high profile incidents can lead to widespread fear. The Garda was praised for its outreach to communities, especially isolated and vulnerable people, during the pandemic. A similar effort – via community policing – has been widely called for.

Safety in Dublin

There has long been a sense that safety in Dublin city has declined. Richard Guiney, chief executive of Dublin Town, has said perceptions of safety were at their highest in 2016, according to polling it commissioned annually from Red C. In the afternoon and evening time 51 per cent of people in north central Dublin felt safe in 2016 and 81 per in south central Dublin. This was down to 35 per cent and 57 per cent respectively in May of last year. Virtually every time the Garda engages with community groups and other stakeholders the chief request is for more gardaí – to deter crime, improve response times and shore up the public’s perception of safety.

Cyber-enabled crime

Frauds and scams – often based off bogus phone calls, emails, texts and social media-based contacts – spiked during the pandemic and are here to stay. With economic crimes there is a shortage of personnel to perform all the tasks that arise during these complex investigations. This includes detectives but also forensic accountants, data scientists and analysts, AI capability and the licences for cryptocurrency analysis. Great strides have been made in the Garda’s approach to investigating domestic and sexual violence. But across the specialist units many of the resources available to police forces overseas are in short supply in the Garda.

High volume “petty” crime

Offences such as the theft of mobile phones, high-value bicycles, motorbikes and even some burglaries – with minimal damage and little property stolen – are something the public is becoming increasingly inured to. A police force that is thinly stretched must prioritise the emergencies and crimes it allocates most resources to. More gardaí, in virtually every station across the country, are required in a bid to ensure high volume non-violent crime does not become an area that goes unreported and uninvestigated.