Not enough staff for back-to-basics policing, says AGSI

A Garda representative body praised a new "back-to-basics" community policing system — but warned staff and resources were not there to implement proposals to extend it.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said the Small Areas Policing Programme — which has been piloted in Dublin’s north inner city — was due to be rolled out in the coming months across Dublin, and possibly nationally.

The initiative involves allocating a certain area to a designated garda who visits all residents, addresses problems, and monitors local crime trends. It has been piloted for the last two years under chief superintendent Pat Leahy, and has attracted praise from both interim Garda commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.