Cork Crime: Beat on the street is still a key to crime prevention
It was very fashionable in the 1980s and into the 1990s but as the motor industry became more security conscious, that activity petered out — but now it seems to be making a comeback.
Antisocial behaviour and public order issues were ever-present in that era too.
Following our focus on courts in June, the 'Irish Examiner' is exploring crime data from garda stations in our Cork Crime series in print and online here on Monday and Tuesday, August 4 and 5.
Alcohol was almost always linked with those incidents, particularly at weekends in the city centre. There was no shortage of martyrs spilling onto the public streets at pub closing time or when the nightclubs ended, full up and ready to make a nuisance of themselves.
Saturday or Sunday mornings at 3am was not a good time to be on the beat near the Grand Parade unless you happened to be blessed with untold patience. Fights and assaults were commonplace, even with a significant garda presence. There were other distractions too.
Drunks wanting to shake your hand and pleading to try on your cap were par for the course. Begging to be handcuffed 'for the craic' was another one. There was always the one genius who insisted on putting a traffic cone on his head believing nobody else had ever thought of doing that. He was hilarious — at least he thought so.
The Berwick Fountain on Cork's Grand Parade has often been the scene of celebrations including these Coláiste Chríost Rí supporters after its Harty Cup victory in 1968. But Trevor Laffan says a drunk clambering onto the fountain at 3am was an entirley different and challenging prospect for gardaí on the street.
You were guaranteed to meet at least one wannabe Edmund Hillary who insisted on climbing the fountain on the Grand Parade and, more often than not, ended up falling into it.
Or the law student who, two weeks into his course, knew his rights and could lecture you on the law while declaring loudly: 'You can't arrest me!' Then became very sheepish when Daddy arrived to collect him from a cell in the Bridewell.
Painful as they were to be dealing with, they were mostly harmless but still tied up a lot of police resources as they were put through the system, mostly for their own protection.
Drugs have exacerbated policing problems
As a nation, there is a suggestion we may be consuming less alcohol so, eventually, we might see that reflected in figures for public order incidents, but I won't hold my breath.
One major issue that has made those nights even more trying for gardaí today is drug use. It must be contributing to the public disorder figures. It has also changed the dynamic for the gardaí because, while the drunk guy was easy to handle, the drugged-up guy is more unpredictable.
Writer and former garda sergeant Trevor Laffan. File picture: Eddie O'Hare
Dependence on drugs and alcohol has had a major impact on shoplifting too. The exact extent of theft is unknown as many incidents go unreported — mainly because of fears for staff safety — but the lack of garda resources and reduced visibility on the streets may also have something to do with the rising figures.
Times have changed. When I started out in Dublin in 1980, there was a huge emphasis on having a garda on the beat. It was a great deterrent and a uniformed presence on the streets provided a general sense of security. Sadly, that's missing now — and it's not the only thing.
Camaraderie within An Garda Síochána flourished in my day. We were proud to wear the uniform and there was a sense that we were all on the same side. We looked out for each other and a shout for assistance always got priority. They were good days and policing was uncomplicated.
New commissioner has a battle on his hands
Today, there is disharmony between the various garda representative organisations and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, who steps down in September.
There seems to be more of an emphasis on administration than actual patrolling. Members are spending more time indoors attending to the demands imposed on them by technology and oversight than they are on the beat where they should be.
Hopefully, the incoming garda commissioner Justin Kelly can bring the force back to the community where they belong but he'll have a battle on his hands.
Legislators have been busy in recent times introducing new ways to keep tabs on members of An Garda Síochána. Oversight is necessary but it seems to me that too much of it is stifling the organisation.
Where are the crime-reduction measures?
Last year, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was introduced to 'strengthen the governance of An Garda Síochána and to provide for clear and effective oversight and accountability'. What exactly does that mean? Well, it's bit complicated but for starters it has created a new board of An Garda Síochána which will provide support and guidance to the Garda Executive on matters such as organisational governance, human resource management, data protection, public administration, and financial management.
Then garda Trevor Laffan in January, 1999. He acknowledges that developments since his day — especially the scourge of drug addiction — makes policing more challenging now, but says the fundamentals are the same. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive
According to the Garda website, there are nine members on the new board but only one has any practical policing experience, and he is a retired assistant commissioner. There are several accountants though.
New bodies created under the 2024 act include the board of An Garda Síochána, the National Office for Community Safety, the National Community Safety Steering Group, the Policing and Community Safety Authority, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, and the Office of the Independent Examiner of Security Legislation.
There is a lot of detail in the act about how complaints against members of An Garda Síochána are dealt with and instructions on how to make a complaint.
Fiosrú may also investigate matters in relation to the conduct of gardaí, when it is in the public interest, even if a complaint has not been received.
So, all in all, there's plenty of oversight and no shortage of mechanisms to deal with complaints made against gardaí — but that alone won't reduce crime. We need gardaí on the beat for that.
Trevor Laffan is a writer and former garda sergeant
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