Special 'street crime' Garda taskforce set for Dublin

The establishment of the taskforce comes against the background of a worsening staff shortage in An Garda Síochána.

A special taskforce is to be set up in Dublin to provide a beefed-up Garda response to street crime.

The exact scope and staffing of the taskforce is not yet clear, with some reports it could also include operations to target low and mid-level drug dealing.

While the taskforce is expected to include within its remit the law and order situation along O’Connell Street — which has attracted widespread political and public concern — it is said the body is not specifically in response to that.

Some sources say the taskforce was suggested by the Assistant Commissioner for Dublin Angela Willis soon after she took office in May 2021 and that she has been working on it since then.

It is understood the taskforce will operate across the entire six divisions in the Garda Dublin Metropolitan Region and not just the city centre.

The remit and resourcing of the taskforce is still being finalised and details are expected in the coming weeks.

Its establishment comes against the background of a worsening staff shortage in An Garda Síochána.

Taskforces second gardaí from different stations to a dedicated unit with the purpose of providing a rapid and significant response to various crime trends or issues.

It is not clear how many gardaí are being seconded to the unit, with various numbers being suggested.

It is expected the body will operate under the command of a detective superintendent in the assistant commissioner’s office.

The taskforce is separate from Operation Citizen, the uniform patrol initiative in Dublin city centre, launched in November 2021.

Questions have been raised about the impact on those stations that will lose members to the taskforce.

Some gardaí have also flagged concerns at reductions in numbers at the existing, and separate, Special Crime Task Force, set up after the 2016 Regency Hotel attack to assist the work of the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB).

There have also been vacancies in DOCB itself, at inspector, sergeant, and Garda ranks.

In relation to DOCB, the Irish Examiner has been informed the inspector vacancies have been filled, that interviews for detective sergeant are being held next week, and that those for detective garda will be held in a couple of weeks.