Gardaí assigned to rural areas in community plan

West Cork initiative an attempt to bridge policing gaps created by recessionary manpower shortage

Dozens of gardaí are being assigned to take responsibility for specific housing estates and rural communities in coastal West Cork in an initiative believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

Directed by Chief Superintendent Tom Hayes in the Cork West Garda Division, he envisages the project as vital to bridging gaps in certain Garda services in rural Ireland.

Garda Representative Association (GRA) members had repeatedly warned that years of austerity measures, such as a major reduction in garda manpower and patrol vehicles, had led to a reduced service in the provinces.

Chief Supt Hayes’ initiative has been welcomed by members of the Cork County Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

The senior garda confirmed he was assigning officers to take responsibility to liaise with communities without access to a local garda station.

Nine garda stations closed in recent years in the West Cork Division, in line with nationwide cuts which mainly targeted small, rural, areas. The division stretches along the south and west coasts from Kinsale to Baltimore and Beara and northwards to Macroom and Kanturk.

It also encompasses towns such as Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, and Skibbereen.

Chief Supt Hayes also plans to allocate gardaí to deal with housing estates in urban areas. He has already started to implement the plan and expects matters to be completed before the year end.

“We will then review the plan to assess its effectiveness and, if necessary, tweak it with improvements,” the chief superintendent said.

He said it was vital that gardaí communicate with local people about any difficulties communities or individuals are encountering.

“We also want to develop local knowledge of people such as the elderly, disabled, or infirm who may feel they are at risk.”

Assigned gardaí will also work in partnership with schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert, along with community associations and other voluntary organisations.

John Fuller, a community representative on the Cork County JPC, said he and his colleagues on the committee welcomed the initiative.

Mr Fuller, a retired garda who served 40 years in the force, said that, under the plan, each garda would have responsibility for a specific area where they would get to know the people and win their trust.

“It’s about getting the contact back with people: That has been lost for a while,” he said. “The assigned garda and the locals would become more familiar with each other and this would build up trust. It’s putting the garda back in contact with the people.”

Mr Fuller said the reduction in garda services had led to a reduction in communication between gardaí and rural areas.

Although the lack of communication had been damaging, he said interaction had not been totally lost.

“This initiative will help repair it,” said Mr Fuller. “Local knowledge is vital for gardaí to be able to do their jobs. It’s also vital to know people who are coming to live in communities.”

Chief Supt Hayes said he hoped the initiative would be copied by other garda divisions throughout the country.

Mr Fuller, meanwhile, said there was currently no garda presence in places such as Meelin and Rockchapel in the north-west of the county.

These areas, he said, are under the control of the Cork North Garda Division and Chief Supt Ger Dillane.

He said he would like to urge Chief Supt Dillane to adopt a similar policy and assign gardaí to deal specifically with those rural communities in Meelin and Rockchapel.