Madam, - How many more people will have to be attacked and beaten to almost death by thugs patrolling our city streets before our Garda Commissioner wakes up and puts in place an equal number of patrolling garda.
There is something radically wrong within our police force when such attacks can happen week after week in our city streets. Why is there not a special task force put in place at the vital hours of 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. encompassing areas from Parnell Street to St Stephen's Green with a heavy and visible presence? Where are the garda motor cyclists, guard dogs, guard horses at these vital times? - Yours, etc.,
W.J. O'SULLIVAN, Dublin 11.
Madam, - In our country today, both young and old are attacked and robbed, some are murdered and many homes are burgled.
Old people are living in constant fear and while politicians and sociologists will argue over the cause of crime and violence, the urgent concern should be how to curb it and how to protect the vulnerable.
The public are properly calling out for the protection to which they are entitled. Gardaí are doing a good job, but, in my opinion, back-up from the Army could help to prevent a good deal of crime. The Army could be deployed in protecting state buildings and parliamentarians and patrolling our towns, cities, villages and countryside, thus allowing more gardaí to be available for more technical acts of criminality.
I appeal to the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Defence to deploy the Army and to lift the embargo on Garda recruitment in an effort to combat the very serious crime wave. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr NOEL COLLINS, Midleton, Co Cork.
Madam, - Rising rates of alcohol related street violence and restrictions on Garda resources are leading to a sense of hopelessness among the residents of our large cities which has not been felt since Dublin's opiate epidemic 20 years ago. We need to own our sense of safety and take responsibility for addressing these problems. We need a Garda reserve or volunteer force that will positively support the work of our overstretched and under-resourced police force by building their presence on the streets. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN CULLEN, Lucan, Co Dublin.