Gardaí set up unit to take on gangland killers
The unit - comprising of 20 detectives - includes officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), based in Harcourt Square and experienced detectives from stations around Dublin.
"A specialist unit to deal with organised crime is operating in Harcourt Square. It's not a high-profile unit, but it is there. There are about 20 detectives involved," said a garda source.
While the number of homicides fell last year - from 59 in 2002 to 52 in 2003 - the number of fatal gangland shootings rose - from eight in 2002 to at least 14 in 2003.
Nine of the shootings occurred in Dublin, while a 10th, involving a Dubliner, occurred in Co Offaly.
The four other gangland murders were in Limerick.
Another gangland murder in 2003 - the strangulation of INLA man Lee Conkey in Co Louth - brought the number to 15.
Three other fatal shootings - those of Michael Scott in Ballymun, Thomas Canavan in the south inner city and Jason Tolan in Blanchardstown, west Dublin - although not strictly gangland related, were carried out by criminals in Dublin in 2003.
The garda squad, known as Operation Lance, is involved in both of this year's gangland shootings - that of Kenneth Byrne on February 1 and Paul Warren last Wednesday. Both lived in Teresa's Gardens flat complex. Both murders occurred in the Garda A District, covering Dublin's south west inner city.
The same district is also dealing with a third murder, that of Sean Twomey, who died on Tuesday night. His murder is not gangland-related.
Gardaí in the A district, taking in Kevin Street and Kilmainham garda stations, admit they are stretched.
The Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors (AGSI) has expressed concerns to the Department of Justice at the falling number of gardaí - particularly sergeants - serving in busy districts.
"We are not against specialist units, they are necessary, but they are taking experienced detectives away from the stations. It's all from the one pool," said an AGSI spokesman.
He said a unit in Dublin's Pearse Street station had four sergeants and 32 gardaí in 1996, compared to two sergeants and 22 gardaí now.
He said figures show that in Limerick - the other main centre of organised crime - garda strength was down 85 on 1985 figures.
A major garda operation - including the Emergency Response Unit - was put in place in Limerick after the Keane-Ryan feud re-ignited in January 2003.
Despite the collapse of the Liam Keane murder trial, gardaí succeeded in bringing a number of prosecutions, including the conviction of five men for the murder of Kieran Keane last December.
Following revenge warnings from the Ryan family, there has been a spate of shootings in the city.
Gardaí have said the rise in violent crime is linked to the easy access to guns. There are also more gangs involved in the drugs trade and a new breed of ruthless, violent criminals.
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy told the Oireachtas Justice Committee last October that gardaí knew who the criminals were, but getting evidence against them was a different, and difficult, matter.
He said he did not have the resources to place these criminals under 24-hour surveillance.
Justice Minister Michael McDowell, who has fought a running battle with gardaí over the Government's failure to hire 2,000 extra officers, says the gardaí have never had it so good in terms of resources.
Mr McDowell hopes his legislative changes - including extending detention periods, taking DNA samples by force, changes in witness testimony and making membership of a criminal gang an offence - will help swing the balance against organised crime.
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