‘Criminals cannot be caught by Skype’

A row has broken out between the leaders of rank-and-file gardaí and the justice minister after they accused him of being “soft on crime” and “dismantling frontline policing”.

In a hard-hitting speech at the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual conference yesterday, the organisation’s president, Damien McCarthy, claimed that Alan Shatter and his Cabinet colleagues had failed to establish themselves as the government of law and order.

“So far, you have been soft on crime, soft on the causes of crime, and soft on the proceeds of crime,” said Garda McCarthy.

“I conclude that your appointment has so far failed to have any significant impact on policing.”

He pointed out that in 2007 there had been cross-party support to increase the strength of the force to 16,000. It currently has a strength of 13,650.

“Were all politicians badly wrong in 2007? If that number was needed then, it certainly is needed now. The population has grown while Garda numbers are declining.”

He reminded the minister of his own words at the time, which were: “There is no replacement for extra gardaí on duty in local areas backed with the resources they need to tackle crime in all its guises from antisocial behaviour to gangland murders. The Government has promised extra gardaí for years now and nothing has happened. Meanwhile, areas of the country have become lawless badlands.”

He continued: “Minister, these are your words, not mine. Your words in 2007. Yet now you are prepared to abandon areas of the country to become ‘lawless badlands’ by closing down Garda stations.

“If a house is being burgled, the gardaí cannot teleport to your assistance, the gardaí cannot police from a remote location by satellite, criminals cannot be apprehended by Skype — and we can’t email armed response.

“You have backtracked on your promises of 2007, you are overseeing our retreat — our withdrawal from the heart of the community.”

He also criticised him for allowing recruitment in the Defence Forces while continuing to embargo recruitment in the gardaí.

Mr Shatter hit back, saying he was not soft on crime and that the GRA’s claims he was dismantling frontline policing were “damaging”. His claim that morale in the force was fine was greeted with jeers.

He told the conference that crime was down on all fronts except burglaries.

Mr Shatter said the country did not need the 703 Garda stations which were opened in 1922 because transportation and technology had changed drastically since then.

He said it was “not credible or sustainable” to keep so many stations open and said the PSNI had closed 80 of its 160 stations since 2000 and was planning further rationalisation.

He maintained that the public would rather have gardaí out on the beat or in patrol cars than sitting behind desks in rural stations.

He also claimed the reduction in Garda numbers followed an agreement with the troika and was ultimately the result of the financial situation the country found itself in, which was a “legacy” from the last government.

Mr Shatter said he was “hard on crime” as witnessed by his decision to rush in legislation to tackle white-collar criminals .