COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
MOTION NO. 3
MOTION: Councillor P. Donovan
"That this Area Committee calls on the Chief Executive to establish a local Policing forum for this area."
REPORT:
Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 the Joint Policing Committees Guidelines (Amended August 2014) set out the following in respect of Local Policing Forums:
- Section 36(2)(d) of the Garda Síochána Act (see paragraph 2.1) provides for the establishment of local policing fora by JPCs. The internal procedures of such fora should be similar to those for the JPCs, but to the greatest extent possible be more informal.
- As a general principle, JPCs should ensure that in establishing local policing fora they do not divert scarce resources from the work of the JPCs themselves.
- In accordance with commitments in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, Guidelines for the operation of local policing fora in Local Drugs Task Force areas issued in 2009.
South Dublin County Joint Policing Committee set up three Local Policing Fora which are located in Tallaght (formed November 2010), Clondalkin (formed February 2011) and North Clondalkin (formed February 2011). In addition South Dublin County covers part of the D12 Local Policing Forum (formed March 2011). Public meetings are organised by the Local Policing Fora and supported by the Joint Policing Committee. Each Local Policing Fora is made up of representatives of the Local Authority, Garda Síochána, Elected Representatives, Local Drugs Task Force and local residents.
The JPC has discussed the feasibility of a LPF covering the Rathfarnham sub district area and at the JPC held on the 22nd September 1997 the following was minuted:
- Following previous discussions on a Rathfarnham LPF it was proposed and agreed that the existing Tallaght Quarterly Neighbourhood Watch meetings should be extended to include issues that affect the Rathfarnham Garda Sub district, meetings would include Inspectors from Tallaght and Rathfarnham. A similar approach will be adopted in the Lucan area.
It should be noted that the power to set up LPFs lies with the JPC (Section 36(2)(d) of the Garda Síochána Act (see paragraph 2.1) provides for the establishment of local policing fora by JPCs.)