A pilot project which allows disadvantaged communities to collectively highlight issues of crime and anti-social behaviour should be rolled out nationwide, according an evaluation report.
The Community Crime Impact Assessment (CCIA) tool allows communities to report issues collectively to the Garda and local authorities, instead of relying solely on individuals to report crimes.
In areas where people are subject to harassment or intimidation for going to the Garda, the CCIA mechanism gives communities "safety in numbers" and allows problems to be identified and addressed, according to the assessment by the Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign which is being launched today.
The tool has been piloted in areas of Dublin 8 and Dublin 15 over the last three years. Feedback has been positive, with residents feeling more engaged in their communities as initiatives taken to improve the quality of live in such areas.
These includes reducing drug dealing, drug debt intimidation, joyriding and littering, Citywide said.
The evaluation recommends CCIAs be introduced in other areas “as part of a package of measures to build individual and community resilience”.
"Most people don't report the ongoing and persistent daily events often associated with drug-related activities and general anti-social behaviour because they are either afraid of reprisal from those involved, or because they feel that their complaints are not important or will not be treated seriously by authorities," said Anna Quigley of Citywide.
“As a result, these widespread experiences, which corrode community quality of life, are continuously downplayed or ignored. This has a really damaging impact on the fabric of a community.”
As well as giving people “strength in numbers”, CCIAs strengthen existing community structures such as residents’ associations and encourages problemsolving approaches to social problems, it said.
The CCIA mechanism has three stages. First, residents are surveyed about crime and drug problems in their area. This data is then fed into a problem-solving group made up of gardaí, local authorities and other State organisations, such as the HSE, which implements initiatives to address the issues.
Lastly, the effectiveness of the response is monitored over time “so that difficulties that people are living with are not forgotten or ignored”.
In the Dublin 8 pilot, residents who were surveyed complained of a wide range of problems including drug debt intimidation, young people gathering for organised fights and racist abuse of shop staff.
Robberies from shops was also a major issue. One shop in the area was subjected to six armed robberies in one year.
In response, the Garda re-established a local drugs unit and stepped up community policing patrols. Gardaí also made contact with local businesses so issues could be reported more efficiently.
A similar survey was carried out in Dublin 15, where residents raised the issue of dumping and littering. This led to a clean-up of the area by the council which had the added benefit of reducing joyriding in the area.
CCIAs are also effective at communicating issues which might not constitute crimes but are impacting quality of life in the area, for example loud parties at night, the report said.
Citywide said the implementation of CCIAs must be supported by the Policing Authority and by community policing efforts.
“The value of visible, accessible, friendly gardaí in disadvantaged communities is undeniable in that people affected by anti-social behaviour and crime may discretely bring matters to police attention in the context of a casual conversation on the street corner or in a shop, minimising the risk of reprisal,” the report stated.
