Gardaí at Cork City's newly-deployed community policing van catch prolific shoplifter

Inspector James Hallahan said more garda patrols are planned in and around the city centre over the coming weeks too

(Left to right) Garda Dean O'Sullivan, Aideen Cronin, Liz Bugler, Inspector James Hallahan, and Cian Hennessey at the unveiling of the new mobile garda community van in Cork City. Picture: Noel Sweeney

A hi-tech community policing van has been deployed in the heart of Cork City as part of a high-visibility approach to policing in the run-up to Christmas.

The Maxus van, effectively a mobile garda station which will be manned by at least one garda, was parked at the junction of St Patrick’s St and Opera Lane on Tuesday, but it will be positioned at a range of other strategic city centre locations over the coming weeks as part of the wider overall garda approach to city centre policing.