Patrol cars at lowest number since 2007

Even if the justice minister keeps his promise to supply 170 patrol cars, they will still be down an estimated 130 vehicles by the end of the year, say gardaí.

Garda Representative Association president John Parker was reacting to figures released by Justice Minister Alan Shatter following a Dáil question from Cork East TD Tom Barry.

Mr Barry was told 234 vehicles were withdrawn from service between January and September, leaving the fleet strength at 2,457 — its lowest since 2007.

That year, there were 2,305 patrol cars on the road. In 2008, it climbed to 2,729 and peaked the following year at 2,814.

The figure fell in 2010 to 2,740, and fell again to 2,623 in 2011.

Mr Barry said the current level represented a 12% cut since the 2009 peak.

Garda Parker said that, on average, at least one vehicle was removed from the garda fleet each day because they reached the 300,000km limit after which manufacturers would not guarantee them.

At that rate of attrition, a further 70 vehicles could go before the end of the year, bringing to 304 the number taken off the road in 2012.

To date, 42 of the promised 170 replacements have been delivered.

“We are down a few hundred cars since 2009,” said Garda Parker. “The minister should give a case-by-case account on how Garda districts which have lost vehicles are now expected to provide the same level of service to the public.”

He said the reduction in vehicles meant less patrolling and sent out the wrong message to criminals.

Mr Barry said that, without an adequate number of vehicles, gardaí cannot be expected to answer the growing menace of mobile criminals terrorising rural communities .

“It’s quite startling that the figures of vehicles in service are decreasing so rapidly and I am formally calling on the Garda Commissioner to work with the Department of Justice to try and resolve this issue,” he said.

“I also asked the minister for justice and equality to outline the breaches of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and road traffic legislation that occurred in order to necessitate the removal of Garda cars from service at 300,000km; especially when these cars have an up-to-date National Car Test Certificate.

“We need to re-examine this blanket withdrawal of vehicles, many of which are safe and well-maintained.”