Number of community gardaí in Limerick fallen by 'two-thirds' in 12 years
THE NUMBER of community gardaí in Limerick has fallen by two-thirds in 12 years, according to local TD Maurice Quinlivan.
And he says, the lack of officers within local areas has led to a “them and us” situation, which is causing conflict between the law and the public.
Speaking while debating a planned new piece of law in the Dáil - which aims to provide a new framework for policing in Ireland - Mr Quinlivan said: “When a community only sees gardaí in their area to make arrests it can create a them-and-us division, a division that can be avoided.”
He said that in 2008, 92 community officers were based in Limerick city.
But fast-forward to July 2020 and that number had fallen to just 31.
“The presence of a community garda offers reassurance to older members of the community and importantly he or she can serve as a role model to younger people,” the local Sinn Fein TD added.
Mr Quinlivan says his party fears the new Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill could be a “missed opportunity” to reform and enhance policing.
“Policing is about serving the people and that work starts in the community. It starts with people in the community knowing their local garda, feeling comfortable approaching the Gardaí and in supporting them.
"Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen a falloff in the number of gardaí assigned to community policing roles and this unwittingly can create a barrier between the Gardaí and some local communities,” he explained.
Mr Quinlivan says despite the challenges the law enforcement agency faces, they still do a good job.
“If you live on the northside and have reason to call the Gardaí, you will be waiting for them to call out to you. It is not because they don’t care, it is because they must prioritise given their limited resources. In Limerick, there is often only one car available on the northside. This is a huge area that includes two regeneration areas and large areas of Corbally and reaches as far out as Ardnacrusha. This is an impossible situation to leave local Gardaí in,” he added.
Added to this frustration, the City TD added is a “huge delay” in receiving a response from the gardai when the public make contact.
“How can Gardaí respond when they don’t exist or there is simply no one available,” he asked.