Councillors press for strong representation on Tipperary Joint Policing Committee's successor

Tipperary’s county councillors declared their strong opposition to the impending abolition of the county’s Joint Policing Committee and its replacement with a new body with less elected representatives when the group’s annual report was presented at their latest monthly meeting.

Councillors of all political colours threw their support behind a Louth County Council motion resolving that the Council oppose the proposed legislation to abolish JPCs nationwide and replace them with Local Community Safety Partnerships.

The new partnership bodies will comprise representatives of residents and community groups, business and education groups and statutory services such as An Garda Síochána, Tusla, HSE and the local authority but far fewer public representatives than on Joint Policing Committees.

Tipperary JPC, which will be disbanded at the end of the Council’s term next month, includes 15 councillors along with the county’s five TDs.

Cashel Fianna Fáil Cllr Roger Kennedy was first to voice his support of the Louth CC motion. He said Tipperary JPC did good work. and even if new body replacing it worked differently, it was “very important” that it kept the same membership of public representatives.

Clonmel Cllr Pat English (WUAG) agreed and pointed out that councillors received a lot of information from Garda representatives at JPC meetings and councillors, in turn, gave a lot of information to gardaí.

Tipperary Town Cllr Annemarie Ryan (SF) said the JPC has been an invaluable forum for councillors to network and build relationships with the Gardaí.

Both Cllr Ryan and Clogheen FG Cllr Marie Murphy highlighted the fact that public representatives act as a “conduit” between their constituents and Gardaí.

Carrick Cllr David Dunne echoed this view. When people were afraid to raise issues with the gardaí, they went to councillors particularly in relation to drugs crime, he said. The Joint Policing Committee was a “vital link” between gardaí and those councillors on the front line.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Micheál Anglim, who chairs the Local Authorities Members Association, told councillors LAMA was pressing for it to be compulsory that the new Community Safety Partnerships be chaired by a councillor.