McDowell in US to observe fight against gangs

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is visiting the US with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy this week to observe how Americans tackle gang crime.

The visit comes amid ongoing Garda efforts to crack down on Ireland's criminal gangs.

Mr McDowell is quoted this morning as saying that valuable lessons can be learned from how police in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago tackle organised crime.

In particular, he cites the targeting of resources in areas with the highest crime rates and making local police chiefs accountable for crime trends in their areas.