Garda crime conference to get underway today

Ireland's most senior gardaí are meeting in Templemore today to discuss nationwide operations against crime gangs.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan is expected to focus the summit on Operation Fiacla - which over the past 18 months has targeted organised burglaries across Ireland.

Since its inception the operation has led to almost 7,000 arrests and nearly 4,000 criminal charges, gardaí said in figures released ahead of the two-day crime conference.

Also on the agenda at the conference are issues such as traffic and community policing as well as discussion on the effect of station closures.