We need more gardaí on streets

IRELAND’S criminal justice system is under intense public scrutiny as the spate of gangland murders in Dublin and Limerick shows little sign of abating.

Not since the assassination of journalist Veronica Guerin have citizens been left with the impression that the forces of law and order are in danger of losing control of the situation.

Following a recent bout of cold-blooded murders, three more victims have been gunned down in an outbreak of tit-for-tat killings. It would be unconscionable to condone such activity on the grounds that if a criminal is killed it means society has one less to worry about.

The stark reality is that ruthless thugs are waging brutal turf wars for control of Ireland's lucrative drugs trade. In the process of hooking young addicts, they sow the seeds of death and fear in local communities and it would be hard to exaggerate the threat they pose to society.

The question people are now asking is what can be done to end the bloodshed and restore a sense of normality to areas beset by crime? The answer is that the Government must put more gardaí on the beat.

As people are acutely aware, underlying the headline incidents, there is a simmering cocktail of violent crime against the person. Not a weekend passes without reports of violence, sexual assault and robbery in towns and cities across the country.

Against this backdrop, people have a right to feel betrayed by a Government which has blatantly broken its election promise to recruit 2,000 more gardaí. In the wake of an election victory secured on the basis of false pledges, the Coalition slapped an official ban on recruitment in the public sector. Since then, not a single extra garda has joined the force.

The public regards the failure to recruit additional gardaí as a damning indictment of the administration.

Thanks to the Trojan work of the Criminal Assets Bureau, set up to fight organised crime in the aftermath of Veronica Guerin's murder, the major drug barons have effectively been smashed.

But it is increasingly difficult to achieve the same level of success in a crime scene dominated by younger, lesser known but more ruthless figures, heavily involved in drugs, and willing to use extreme violence to wipe out opponents.

Making matters worse, the effectiveness of the uniformed garda force has also been eroded by financial cutbacks. Despite its fine record of convictions against major criminals, the force is now in danger of being run down. Meanwhile, the prison system has become a training ground for young criminals.

What people find most disturbing amid the current spate of violence is that the presence of the garda on the beat is visibly diminishing. The Government should be under no illusion that society is crying out for greater garda presence on the streets.

While it is essential to avoid a knee jerk response to the present surge of deadly violence, there is a glaring need to overhaul the criminal justice system. With this in mind, Justice Minister Michael McDowell has promised to take all necessary measures to combat crime.

But unless the Government is serious about tackling issues of social exclusion poverty, unemployment, educational disadvantage the root causes of crime will continue to fester.