Mick Clifford: Forget about PR exercises to beef up policing

The Government should be focusing on recruitment and retention problems in An Garda Síochána rather than indulging in PR exercises dressed up as a show of strength, writes Mick Clifford

Garda Assistant Commissioner Angie Willis, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, Chief Superintendent Pat McMenamin, and Justice Minister Helen McEntee on Store St, Dublin, in July. The Government should address the problems bedevilling An Garda Síochána rather than indulging in PR exercises. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

During the week we had a perfect example of policing by public relations. Following three incidents in Dublin city centre over the last month resources were scrambled to present an alleged appropriate response. The Garda national public order unit, the armed support unit, and the mounted unit are all to be deployed to the places where tourists wander and congregate.

Details designed to bamboozle proper analysis were presented. The public order unit will be deployed every day of the week to the city centre on a rota of 12-hour shifts into the early hours of the morning. The armed support and mounted units “will be deployed to enhance garda visibility”, according to Garda headquarters, and patrols on transport networks at peak times will continue.