Community Safety Partnerships are key to community safety and tackling anti-social behaviour – Farrell

New community safety partnerships with local authorities and gardai working together will be key to delivering community safety and to tackling any incidents of anti-social behaviour in our communities, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Dublin Fingal Deputy Alan Farrell has said a new approach of local authorities working together with the Gardai and community groups is a more effective response to anti-social behaviour and violence in our cities and towns.

Deputy Farrell said: “Anti-social behaviour, when it happens, is a scourge on our community and all of society working together has a role in preventing and discouraging incidents of crime.

“Community safety is at the heart of the government’s plan to ensure more visible community policing, in line with the Report of the Commission for the Future of Policing so that people feel safer where they live, work and socialise.

“Local Community Safety Partnerships are being established under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill to develop local plans where communities can prioritise actions and needs which are to be addressed.

“Making our streets safer and preventing harm and crime doesn’t rest with one agency, and we are shifting towards adopting a whole of government approach that includes other departments, education authorities, local authorities and the community groups who know best the needs of their communities and the issues at play.

“The partnerships will replace the joint policing committees and build on the work they have done to date. Local community safety plans will then be drawn up to map out how the community wants to prevent crime, local safety issues with the aim of making areas safer for residents and businesses.

“Included in them are residents; community reps (including youth, new communities and voluntary sector); business and education reps; relevant public services including HSE, Tusla, Gardaí the local authority and local councilors.

“Training is also being provided to support the work of the partnerships, including individual training for residents to understand their role and to build confidence in representing their community.

“Three pilot partnerships are currently being established in Dublin’s north inner city, Longford and Waterford and will run for the next two years ahead of a nationwide rollout in every local authority area.

“They will also have dedicated funding and staff once the policy is rolled out nationally as part of reforms by the Commission on the Future of Policing.

“These locations were selected based on criteria such as population density, crime rates and economic indicators. I am assured that the pilots will be monitored closely and any required changes will be made so that they work as effectively as possible for all of our communities,” Deputy Farrell concluded.