#OperationCitizen tackling #CityCentre anti-social behaviour

As a member of the City’s Joint Policing Committee, the Assistant Garda Commissioner for Dublin provided details of the specific policing initiative to counteract and effectively tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour in our City Centre.

Operation Citizen commenced in Dublin City Centre on the 22nd October 2021.

• In excess of 100 Gardaí patrolling Dublin City Centre each weekend evening.
• On a daily basis there are in excess of 20 Gardaí on foot/ mountain bike patrols, supported by 12 (24 members) mobile patrols from the 4 central Garda stations.
• 8 Gardaí now full time assigned to specifically patrol River Liffey Boardwalk, Quays and environs every day 4pm – 4am.
• 30 additional Gardaí deployed on beat patrols in City Centre Friday, Saturday, Sunday evening supported by 5 (10 members) Regional Armed patrols (1 dedicated to city centre) and Garda National Public Order Unit (25 personnel on mobile patrols), Garda Mounted Unit and Garda Dog Unit.
• In excess of 500 additional hours policing each week.

Since June, I have been raising my concerns about the lack of visible policing within the City Centre within the Joint Policing Committee, through the placing of Emergency Motions at the monthly meeting of Dublin City Council, which you can read more about here – https://raymcadam.com/2021/09/06/tackling-antisocial-behaviour-in-dublin-city/, with my colleagues in the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party including Minister Heather Humphreys when she had responsibility for the Justice brief. I believe the measures introduced will go a significant way in reassuring the public that the City Centre is safe and that the Gardai are maintaining a highly visible presence in areas where we have seen trouble over recent months. As the Assistant Commissioner said, this initiative will ensure that “that Dublin City Centre is, is a safe place to live, visit, socialise, conduct business and enjoy.”

The Assistant Commissioner also advised that Operation Citizen is focused on reassuring the public, residents, visitors, businesses and workers that Dublin City Centre is a positive safe environment, notwithstanding the wide range of complex social and professional dynamics which are to be found in Dublin City, the same as any other large urban environment.

Particular focus is being placed on anti-social behaviour, public order and quality of life issues, assaults and high-volume crimes. This will be achieved by increased visible policing particularly at key locations and further maximising the impact of that visibility. In addition to resources from the DMR North Central and South-Central divisions, the operation is supported by resources from the wider Dublin Region, Garda Roads Policing Units, the Garda National Public Order Unit and Garda Operational Support Units (Mounted Unit and Dog Unit).

In circulating details of the Garda initiative, Operation Citizen, the Assistant Commissioner also shared some details of the specific statistics arising from the first weeks of the initiative:

• 2 units of 1 Sergeant and 7 Gardaí, (16 members in total) are now specifically assigned and ringfenced under Operation Citizen to patrol the Liffey Boardwalk, Quays and adjoining streets on a daily basis 4pm – 4am.
• Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from 4pm up to 30 additional Gardaí are deployed specifically on foot patrols in the City Centre, resourced from outside the 2 core city centre divisions.
• A minimum of 5 (10 members) Regional Armed patrols (1 dedicated to city centre).
• Every Friday and Saturday evening, a Garda National Public Order Unit of 25 personnel (on mobile patrols) patrol the City Centre.  Additional patrols in line with Operational Requirements.
• Garda Operational Support Units (Garda Mounted Unit and Garda Dog Unit) provide patrols on an ongoing basis.
• In excess of 500 additional hours policing provided each week.
• To date, during the first full week of Operation Citizen (25/10/21 – 31/10/21) including Bank Holiday Monday (25/10/21) and Halloween (31/10/2021) there have been in excess of 50 arrests and 65 charges preferred before the courts.
• Prisoner management protocols in place to retain patrolling Gardaí on the street maximising visibility.

The next meeting of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee is set to take place next Tuesday, November 16^th. If you have any specific questions or queries arising from the details of Operation Citizen, please get in touch with me by email at RayMcAdam@gmail.com and I would be happy to put those enquiries to the Assistant Garda Commissioner.