Garda boss and justice minister agree Dublin 'is safe'

New Commissioner Justin Kelly, who started on September 1, said part of the response is greater garda visibility, investment in community policing, and continuing operations by the regional Dublin Crime Response Team. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has said he “doesn’t accept” parts of Dublin are not safe or that drug gangs have taken over certain areas — but does accept some people don’t “feel safe” and that it is his job to “turn that around”.

He said he is planning to expand a high-visibility policing presence in Dublin city centre to other parts of the capital and to other cities, such as Cork.

Mr Kelly said that like other European cities, Dublin is going to have “really challenging incidents”, including the recent stabbing attack on a teenager in the north inner city on Sunday night.

Gardaí are believed to have identified the attackers, who stabbed the boy 20 times, including a wound to an artery in a leg. Responding gardaí were able to stem the flow of blood.

The victim, from the Malahide area of north Dublin, is recovering in hospital.

An interagency project in Dublin’s north inner city — Young People at Risk (YPAR) – told the Irish Examiner on Monday that parts of the city, including parks, have been taken over by local drugs gangs and that people are scared to walk around in certain areas.

Speaking at the Association of Garda Superintendents delegate conference at Trim, Co Meath, Mr Kelly said: “I don’t accept that. Dublin is a safe city.” 

However,  he accepted that this is the perception of some people.

For me, its really important, if people don’t feel safe in their area, it’s my responsibility as garda commissioner to turn that around and I am committed to that.

Mr Kelly, who started on September 1, said part of the response is greater garda visibility, investment in community policing, and continuing operations by the regional Dublin Crime Response Team.

He said a policing plan in Dublin city centre — involving 100 extra gardaí on the street – had been “very successful” and said it would expand to other parts of the city by Christmas.

“We will see that visibility improving,” he said.

He also said there will be more direct recruitment of civilian specialists into the force, starting with national security.

Referring to the investigation into the death of little Daniel Aruebose in north Dublin, the commissioner said there are “many other avenues” to be investigated and promised gardaí would do everything they could.

Commenting on safety concerns in Dublin at the conference, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said “Dublin is a safe space”, but added that people are “entitled to feel safe”.

He pointed out that knife crime is down.

Like the commissioner, Mr O'Callaghan said he does not accept local gangs have taken over any areas and that gardaí have control of “all parts” of the city.

He said there are small numbers of young people engaged in anti-social behaviour and criminality, not just in Dublin but in other cities.

We need to confront them and we need to ensure they are not permitted to upset and interfere with enjoyment of life that other people have.

 “We need to deter them and detect them and bring them to justice, if they won’t be deterred.” 

The Minister said he was “surprised” that the Irish Prison Service paid almost €25,000 to Tipperary comedy duo 2 Johnnies to host a show as part of a prison officer recruitment campaign.

“It’s a lot of money for a podcast. I’m surprised that amount of money was being spent,” he said. “We have to be careful spending public money. We have to do it efficiently and carefully. It doesn’t strike as being necessary expenditure.” 

Commissioner Kelly said the 2 Johnnies did a podcast as part of the garda recruitment campaign last year and gardaí didn’t pay for it.