Law and order - Urgent need for promised gardaí

THERE are lies, damned lies, statistics, and there are Government promises to put more gardaí on the beat. As today's analysis of divisional figures shows, the coalition's record in this regard leaves much to be desired.

Beset by violence, what communities want is a visible presence of uniformed gardaí on the beat in cities, towns and rural areas around the country.

But according to the comparison between the operational divisional strength in 1997 and now, there were 9,128 gardaí on the beat then as against 10,150 gardaí on operational duty today, an increase of only 1,022 nationally.

Western counties have fared particularly badly. Having abandoned its promise to bring in its much-vaunted policy of zero tolerance on crime, the Coalition has reduced the presence of uniformed gardaí in some communities.

Given the grave revelations of garda corruption in Donegal by the Morris Tribunal, it is bitterly ironic that it is the worst-affected division in the country. During the past seven years, garda numbers there have fallen by 20.

In Laois-Offaly, the divisional strength has also been weakened and there are now two gardaí less than in 1997. Though Mayo has eight extra personnel, that represents an increase of just over one a year during the seven-year period. Similarly, in Sligo-Leitrim, the operational strength of the force has increased by 12 personnel.

Relatively speaking, things are better in Dublin where the divisional strength of the force has gone up by 155 in Dublin West, by 118 in Central, and by 93 in Dublin South. In Cork, the country's next biggest division, 75 more gardaí are now walking the beat.

There is no denying the crying need for extra gardaí in outlying areas where uniformed personnel are occasionally drawn into specialised forces like the drugs squad and are thus no longer available on the beat.

If anything, the scenario is set to deteriorate further as Justice Minister Michael Mr McDowell is preparing to shut down stations, including some in urban areas, leaving the force more remote from the people than ever.

Closures are an integral part of his plan to rationalise the 700 stations, headquarters, and other garda complexes throughout the State. This against a backdrop of an average annual increase in the past seven years of less than six extra gardaí per division.

Yet, the same minister is still promising to honour the Government's election pledge to recruit 2,000 extra gardaí by 2007. In view of its dismal record to date, that promise gets more unrealistic by the day.

Considering the epidemic of violence on our streets and the escalation of fatal accidents on the roads, it is time this Government put its money where its mouth is by recruiting the extra gardaí the country needs.