Garda cutbacks at ‘worst time of the year’
GARDA overtime in Dublin has been cancelled until next year in what insiders say is ‘quite simply the worst time of the year to do this’.
Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy, the capital’s most senior officer, has written to all senior officers in the area telling them that ‘the Garda budget for 2017 has been exhausted’.
In a worrying knock-on effect, the senior officer in one of the six Garda districts affected by the restrictions has written to the superintendents under his charge stating that he is considering decommissioning its burglary response units, and ordering the unit’s members to work from stations.
He has also requested his senior staff to prioritise duties such as answering the phones and manning static posts, while detective units are being ordered to ‘perform outdoor duty only’.
A number of sources last night expressed their concerns for policing capabilities in the capital over the next five weeks.
One senior insider said: ‘If anything, December is a time where society is most vulnerable. Homes are at increased risk of burglaries and shoplifting is at its highest. Public order problems are also high with all the Christmas madness.’
Another source said that there were now ‘real concerns’ about frontline policing capabilities. ‘This is not about officers complaining about a lack of overtime. This is quite simply the worst time of year to do this. Money should be made available to man the streets at the busiest time of the year for An Garda Síochána.
‘Quite simply, money needs to be found and quickly to plug the gap for the next five weeks. It’s a matter of public safety in the capital,’ said the insider.
Another source said: ‘Have they learned nothing from the Regency hotel attack? Watch now for a big increase in cash-intransit robberies. The Hutches will be back from Northern Ireland and the Kinahans from Dubai. Criminals will take advantage of this.’
However, in the letter by Assistant Commissioner Leahy to all chief superintendents in the Dublin Metropolitan Region yesterday, it is made clear that Operation Hybrid and Operation C-Port will not be affected.
Hybrid is predominantly involved with monitoring those involved in the HutchKinahan feud, providing an armed response to organised crime in the capital including armed checkpoints.
C-Port tackles drugs and other contraband coming in through Dublin Port.
When contacted, a spokeswoman for the Garda Press Office said: ‘An Garda Síochána is provided with an annual budget, which is reviewed on a continual basis to ensure we are working within that budget.’