New community policing initiative in Nenagh

How often over the years have you heard people complain that there's not enough gardaí on the beat?

Well all that is about to change in the Nenagh Garda District as the force is set to launch 'Community Beats 2022' last Friday, a new community policing initiative that will see members of the force on foot and on bicycles in towns, villages, streets and housing estates in the hope of forging closer relationships with the communities they serve.

“We understand that there is a public desire for more visible and accessible policing and this is a measure to meet that demand,” said District Superintendent, Andrew Lacey, who was appointed to the top job in Nenagh six months ago. Superintendent Lacey said foot patrols, with their high visibility approach, have historically been a central feature of policing as a preventative measure.

But as all of us know, the force has come in for significant criticism over the past two decades over a perceived lack of gardaí on the beat in towns and villages. But now this new Community Beats project look set to address those concerns. “The initiative will encourage our gardaí to embrace short beat patrols in areas of high density such as public parks, amenities, schools, retail areas, town centres, residential estates and villages within the district,” Superintendent Lacey revealed.

He said foot patrols are intimately associated with community policing, sometimes referred to as “reassurance policing or citizen-focused policing”.

Expanding on the initiative about to be rolled out for the summer in towns and villages stretching from Roscrea in the north to Newport in the south, Superintendent Lacey said: “These beat patrols will allow accessibility to members of An Garda Síochána normally only experienced in first responder situations or exclusively as witnesses to confrontational situations.

"The initiative is about strengthening a community-based style, and hopefully over the summer we will get a sense of the public perceptions and feedback on its roll-out.

"Where a beat is taking place members of the public are encouraged to approach our Gardaí if they have a concern or a problem, or indeed just for a chat.

"It is hoped that increases in foot patrols will be more responsive to the local communities and that matters are addressed at ground level in the first instance."

CYCLE PATROLS

Superintendent Lacey revealed that pedal cycle patrols will be part of the initiative and the District Garda Patrol Van will be deployed to afford an additional element of visibility in communities being visited. The deployment of the van would also mean accessible policing as it would be used for the dissemination of leaflets, flyers and application forms that would otherwise have to be obtained through a journey to a garda station.

The roll-out of this Community Beats plan comes at a time when the force locally is working towards a multi-agency strategy in partnership with Tipperary County Council on a wide variety of issues that have emerged at "community safety" and Joint Policing Committee meetings.

Under the initiative, the District Headquarters in Nenagh will be used as a point of contact for members of the public making enquiries or raising issues of concern in their communities.

Superintendent Lacey is encouraging community groups to reach out to arrange a visit by members of the force to their town, village, parish or housing estate.

He said his officers would love to meet with local community groups, men’s sheds, nursing homes, schools, business and other community establishments within parishes.

To make contact to arrange a visit by members of the force you can email Nenagh.DS@garda.ie while referencing 'Community Beats 2022'.

The visits to local communities will take place every Friday, alternating each week between routes covering the southern end of the district (Route 1) and the Northern end, Route 2.

Superintendent Lacey said additional resources are being allocated to ensure the primary roll of specific members of the force on any given Friday would be on the community beats. He said these officers would be dedicated to the community visit and would not be put back on other daily call unless the situated was critical and demanded it.

Superintendent Lacey and his colleagues in the Nenagh Distrtict have identified four distinct beat patrol models will endeavour to follow under the new initiative. These are:

⦁ Community engagement model, which emphasises community responsiveness both during and prior to the intervention.

⦁ Citizen contact model, whereby walking the beat is supplemented by visits to residences and businesses.

⦁ Deterrent model, based simply on showing a presence and enforcing the law

⦁ Familiarity model, involving foot patrol and other duties by patrol officers, leading to members of the public getting to know local Gardaí.