City suburb welcomes new Garda approach to crime

A SPECIAL Garda initiative to combat crime and build up community policing in a disadvantaged Dublin suburb has been warmly received by local representatives.

Community activists have commended the Garda efforts to create a community forum in Darndale to get local people involved.

Gardaí in Coolock Garda Station set up a special operation in November in response to long-running crime problems and drug dealing in Darndale, north Dublin.

Operation Thaw has already led to 30 drug searches and 40 arrests and involves a comprehensive community policing initiative.

Local representatives who were previously critical of the Garda record in the area have warmly welcomed the new approach.

“The continued presence of gardaí on the estate is fabulous, they are on the beat, they are in and around all the time,” said local parish priest Fr Terry Murray.

“They admit there were problems, but are now very serious about changing the face of the community. I think it’s brilliant.”

Sinn Féin councillor Larry O’Toole, who lives in Darndale, said: “They are doing now what I reckon is one of the best ways to police an area, they are getting to know the people and the people are getting to know them.

“We have to expand it out obviously, but it has worked very well. It’s not solving all our problems and issues, but it’s the way to go and I’m very glad this approach is being taken. I’m very positive that if we keep this up, we’ll start to maybe resolve a lot of the issues.”

A special Irish Examiner drug supplement in November reported on the widespread availability of drugs and open dealing in Darndale and neighbouring areas.

Local people talked of a worsening problem with drug debts and accompanying violence associated with failure to pay the debts.

But Operation Thaw, which had been planned by the new local superintendent Mark Curran, swung into action last month.

“We gave a commitment that we’d put an intensive policing operation in place that would involve high-visibility policing, supported by the workings of the drug unit and our juvenile liaison officers,” said Supt Curran.

Operation Thaw has resulted in:

l12 house searches for drugs.

l18 drug searches on people and cars.

l45 cars seized.

l60 checkpoints.

l40 arrests for public order and crimes by juveniles.