Community effort needed to tackle crime - report

Dubliners want the city council to work with the gardaí to help reduce spiralling crime levels on the city's streets, a new report claims.

According to the report of the Lord Mayor's Commission on Crime and Policing, responsibility for reducing crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour should be shared among public bodies and communities, not just the gardaí and the courts.

Over 40 focus group meeting took place to produce the report, which also took submissions from Dubliners.

The report also recommends the appointment of a Garda Assistant Commissioner to oversee community policing, with community gardaí working in the same area for a minimum of two years.

Many people also want to see increased garda presence on the streets of the capital, and more district court judges. The report recommends the initial

appointment of 10 new district court judges and a pilot a "problem solving" court in the Dublin District Courts to deal with low-level crime.

Other recommendations include the extension of after-hours and weekend opening times for recreational facilities such as swimming pools, sports and drop-in centres, and the instigation of public information campaigns on anti-social behaviour.

"It is obvious from the many submissions we received that the perception among communities is that collectively we are failing to address low level crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities," said Lord Mayor Cllr Michael Conaghan.

"Dublin communities feel that their concerns about these patterns of crimes are not being heard. Neighbours complain, but nothing seems to happen. We need to work together more effectively and stop passing the buck from one organisation to the other".