THE first meeting of the Clare Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), replacing the county’s Joint Policing Committee, is expected to be held next month a meeting of councillors has been told amid claims the loss of the Ennis JPC in 2014 has been “detrimental to crime prevention and public safety”.
Councillor Tom O’Callaghan (FF) in a motion before the Ennis Municipal District this week outlined there is “public concern over increased anti-social and criminal activity in the Ennis Municipal District”, urging a sub committee of the Clare JPC be set up to focus on issues in the Ennis MD.
The meeting was informed JPC’s nationwide have been dissolved to be replaced by the Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), a new government initiative which brings together community members, the voluntary and community sector, statutory services, and local councillors to work together in identifying and tackling community safety issues locally.
Councillor O’Callaghan commented, “Nobody wants to say that we have big problems around social behaviour. Nobody wants to say criminal activity, but the reality of this is we do have problems.” He pointed to the Clare Age Friendly Strategy which outlined 21% of men and women surveyed felt unsafe and 25% of women surveyed felt unsafe at night.
He voiced concern that the replacement for the JPCs is not in place yet.
“At the moment we don’t have a committee that is focused on safety and crime prevention,” he said.
He stressed the importance of regular meetings between community leaders and the gardaí saying, “If we are not doing that, our eye is off the ball”.
However, Councillor Mary Howard (FG), who sat on the Ennis and county JPC, pointed out that An Garda Siochana have an “open door policy” and are always willing to discuss issues. She described the motion calling for a return of the Ennis JPC as “like a boomerang” saying it has been brought up at previous meetings including by former Councillor Johnny Flynn.
She said that the idea of an Ennis specific committee was considered to be “a talking shop” as the county JPC meeting had four Ennis councillors already as members and “we also have access 24/7 anytime we want them, the phone will always be answered”.
The disbandment of the JPC is “a big loss” as the issues affecting the town could be highlighted said Councillor Pat Daly. He urged there should be more gardaí “on the beat” and he said the reduction to just one superintendent in the county under the division’s merger with Tipperary is “a serious insult”. He urged that the council invite the Chief Superintendent of the region to explain the reasoning and added Superintendent John Ryan should be invited to talk to the council every two months.
Councillor Tommy Guilfoyle commented this is a national issue, “Across the country communities where their local community safety partnership hasn’t been set up are asking for the Justice Minister to reinstate their joint policing committees.”
Sean Lenihan, A/Director of Services, responded to the motion, “I would again like to put on record my own view that anti social behaviour and criminal activity is relatively low in terms of a town of our size and population. That being said, we must always remain vigilant and put in place the required measures and interventions to ensure that it remains low and the instances of same decrease even further and I would again ask for the assistance of Members and indeed the wider public to report any such activity to An Garda Siochana.”
He rejected the idea that there is “a vacuum” in the absence of the JPC and the new LCSP.
He stressed, “We all have the opportunity to go to the gardaí if we have any particular information or instances of anti-social behaviour.”
He added the council has an “excellent relationship” with An Garda Siochana, recalling there was a meeting with Superintendent John Ryan recently along with a meeting with Chief Superintendent Aileen Magner before Christmas and another meeting due to take place. He added the council also has access to gardaí at a more local level, praising the “trusting relationship” between community gardaí and the council in “working together for the betterment of Ennis”.
Referring to the LCSP he said, “The sooner it is up and running the better for all. But I do want to acknowledge we are not in any way discommoded by not having it yet because we have other avenues of getting that information to An Garda Siochana.”
Councillor O’Callaghan agreed there is a good relationship with the gardaí, however he said four community garda is “not enough”.
At the end of the meeting Mr Lenihan detailed updated correspondence he received from the LCSP co-ordinator Ashlene Reyburn who advised the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 came into force on April 2, taking over the act which formed the basis for JPCs. This means there is no legislative basis to set up a JPC. The correspondence outlined that the pause on the legislation had been due to last year’s elections. It is envisaged that the department will issue relations and guidelines regarding setting up LCSPs in the next couple of weeks.
“Therefore we would expect to have the first meeting of the Clare LCSP before the end of May.”