Community gardaí to join city’s fight against crime

WATERFORD city is to get a team of community-based gardaí from next month as part of a major drive to tackle crime.

By working in partnership with the community, gardaí can make a real difference and prevent as well as tackle crime, Garda Superintendent Dave Sheahan said yesterday.

Addressing a community safety conference, he said when compared to urban hubs of a similar size, Waterford is a safe place to live. And he said new partnerships under Joint Policing Committees will work well to Waterford’s advantage.

“Through these policing committees, we will be able to pay particular attention to the levels and patterns of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour as well as factors underlying and contributing to the levels of such activity,” he said.

Supt Sheahan said he has requested applications from within the force in Waterford for officers who would be interested in taking on a community policing role.

“By March 1, my hope is that we would have community gardai in certain areas,” he added.

But he would not yield on calls from city councillor Mary O’Halloran for garda sub-stations to be set up in city black-spots.

“When I was in Limerick, we tried this in Moyross. But it didn’t change things.

“If I were to put up three sub-stations in Waterford, I would have to resource them and put someone in there at all times to guard them. The very people we would then want to see on the beat would have to be inside. But it is a matter which is open for debate.”

Waterford City Council is clamping down on anti-social behaviour, according to Paddy Power of City Hall. As well as appointing an anti-social behaviour officer, it is looking at its vetting procedures and priorities so it might refuse or delay lettings to people who have been causing problems.

“There needs to be a partnership between ourselves, the gardaí and the communities. We can’t be there all of the time to police things. We need co-operation from communities to get results for those same communities,” he added.