Fatal stabbing prompts plea over garda numbers

A stronger garda presence is needed on the streets to combat the rise of violent crime in Dublin in the wake of the latest fatal stabbing, it was claimed today.

Labour Party TD Mary Upton said last night’s incident was the third stabbing in her Dublin South Central constituency in the last two weeks.

Two men were being questioned by gardaí this morning after a 19-year-old youth died from the injuries he received after an altercation at the junction of the Le Fanu and Ballyfermot Roads.

But Ms Upton said more action was needed to address the growing rate of violent crime in the city.

“The knife attack in Ballyfermot last night in which a man died is the third such stabbing and the second knife fatality in the Dublin South Central area in the past two weeks,” she said.

“This death is a further indication of the serious problem of violent crime in parts of the capital and emphasises the need for urgent Garda action to curb violent assaults.

“Last week a man delivering a take-away meal was stabbed and seriously wounded. Just days earlier a young man lost his life after being stabbed in the midst of a burglary attempt on his home while last month a French student was attacked in a horrific incident on Thomas Street.”

Ms Upton said the public had heard lots of rhetoric from Justice Minister Michael McDowell but little was being done to provide protection from violent crime.

“Certainly there is no sign of any of the additional 2,000 gardaí that Fianna Fáil and the PDs promised prior to the 2002 General Election appearing in any Dublin city Garda stations,” she said.

“We need more gardaí in the area, but we also need a much more visible garda presence on the streets.

“We need to strengthen community policing in order to approve liaison with the community and there is a need to extend and expedite the introduction of closed circuit television.”

A garda spokeswoman said the scene of the latest stabbing death remained sealed off for forensic examination and a post-mortem examination would be carried out on the victim later.