Local Community Safety Partnership will be 'a failure' unless Longford gets increased garda resources

A survey by University of Limerick of the Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) suggested the project is improving community awareness of local safety activities and identifying local safety issues.

In a statement this week, Cllr Butler said, “The Longford LCSP has made great strides, being the first pilot to launch it’s Action Plan in September 2022. This is hugely down to the tireless work of our co-ordinator, Janine Bartley. However, one of the overriding aims of the Action Plan was to have a visible Garda street presence in Longford Town.”

Longford is one of three areas where the LCSPs is piloted.

The three areas (Dublin North Inner City, Waterford and Longford) will inform a national rollout of the scheme, which will replace the existing Joint Policing Committees (JPCs).

Cllr Butler said more resources are needed: “Whereas there has been a highly welcome appearance of foot patrols, these have been sporadic at best. This is down to insufficient resources to maintain anywhere near daily foot patrols.

“This is the only way to allay the fear, fuelled by constant media reports, that Longford town is a dangerous, lawless place. Statistically, Longford is neither dangerous nor lawless, although a very small criminal minority has done untold reputational damage to the town.”

Cllr Butler says there's an imbalance in the three areas, “In keeping with the recent funding of extra Garda and resources for Dublin City, I am calling for a similar proportional Garda resourcing package for Longford town. Failure to provide these resources will deem the pilot Longford LCSP, promoted by the Department of Justice, a failure.”