Gardaí at Cork City's newly-deployed community policing van catch prolific shoplifter
(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.
And its presence has already led to the detection and arrest of a prolific shoplifter who was targeting a specific shop on St Patrick’s St. The alarm was raised with the garda on duty at the van, and the person was caught red-handed and brought before the courts within 24 hours of their arrest.
Inspector James Hallahan, head of community policing, said there has been a very positive response from retailers following its deployment.
“In this area, while the gardaí were here, a retailer came to us and said there was a shoplifter on the premises,” he said.
“The garda went across the road, and waited for the shoplifter to come out. The shoplifter was arrested with all the goods and the goods were recovered.
“And because of the visible presence, it discourages anti-social behaviour in an area because we can be more reactive.”
The van is equipped with several CCTV cameras, which can be monitored on a screen in the rear.
It has equipment to allow gardaí to connect to various garda IT systems, allowing it to be used as a mobile control room for dispatching calls and co-ordinating a garda response to various incidents.
It has seating and a table to allow gardaí to take statements, it has a loudspeaker which allows gardaí to communicate effectively with the public at gatherings and outdoor events, and it can display important safety advice and public guidance via large digital screens.
It is one of 12 such vans deployed across the country, and while this vehicle, one of two in the southern garda division, will be available in Cork City until early December only, Insp. Hallahan said gardaí hope to secure their own specific vehicle for Cork soon.
More garda patrols are planned in and around the city centre over the coming weeks too, he said.
“There will be an increase in patrols, both day-time and night-time, to reassure the public that Cork is a safe place to visit, a safe place to come out and socialise, and we want people to come to Cork, we want people to socialise, and we are here to play our part in that,” he said.
Gardaí said as well as enhancing garda visibility, the presence of the van and the garda members who operate it, will also facilitate direct engagement with the public and improving accessibility to garda services.
People have been encouraged to approach the team manning the van for assistance, to raise any concerns, or simply to talk to gardaí.
Its deployment comes in the wake of several calls for substantial extra garda resources for Cork city centre, with hopes of an additional allocation of gardaí for the city from the next cohort to graduate from the garda training college in Templemore.
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