Garda tactics aim to stop arson at refugee centres
SECURITY assessments are being carried out on buildings given the green light by Government to accommodate refugees in a bid to stave off arson attacks, the Mail has learned.
The measures are part of the latest Garda response which has also involved several far-right agitators being made ‘people of interest’ in arson investigations.
While these people are not thought to have been the one to set the fires, officers are investigating if they had a hand in either organising or conspiring to commit the offence.
Over 20 fires have been set at buildings earmarked to house, or which it was rumoured would house refugees.
In some cases, buildings which were never going to be used for refugees were set alight.
In a statement, gardaí said they are now working with local authorities to ‘protect’ refugee centres but would not be drawn on the exact nature of the assessments.
A spokesman said: ‘An Garda Síochána does not comment on, confirm or deny security arrangements for any person, premises or place. An Garda Síochána continues to work and liaise with relevant national and local authorities to keep people attending IPAS [International Protection Accommodation Services] centres safe and protect IPAS centres as required.’
The Department of Integration has also confirmed that a Garda inspector is assigned to a centre to ensure open communication between the force and the Government.
The department said that during times of heightened risk, it has allowed the centres to take on additional security staff to ward off any potential attacks.
A spokesman said the department ‘and An Garda Síochána operate a joint protocol to ensure effective communication on security and needs within accommodation centres. The targeting of any centres providing international protection accommodation is a matter for An Garda Síochána. Each centre is assigned a Garda inspector liaison. This serves as a direct point of contact for the department with senior local gardaí to address safety and security issues arising for residents and staff within accommodation centres.
‘Accommodation providers are aware of their obligations in relation to providing security in the centres, and the department is confident that they will take whatever steps they feel are necessary to maintain the security of their residents on an ongoing basis.
‘During occasions of heightened risk, the department has supported individual accommodation locations to bring on additional security staff.
‘The department operates a 24/7 emergency phone line for accommodation providers and public bodies for advice and action outside normal office hours.’
Sources have described the process by which these risk assessments are now happening. They said: ‘First, the Department of Integration will inform gardaí of the news of the contract being awarded. Once that is done, gardaí are carrying out a risk assessment. This is for the security around the building itself, seeing if there are CCTV systems operational and also what the local mood is like.
‘They’ll go through social media and look out for any comments that might be made which are calling for people to gather.
‘Protesting is obviously not illegal but there are groups who are arriving at nearly every new place which is announced.’
The Mail reported earlier this year how gardaí are implementing a new strategy to tackle arson and criminal damage and are trying to be more proactive with how they manage any potential attack.
While sources have said it’s ‘basically impossible to be everywhere at once’, the Mail understands intelligence-based policing will lead to more Garda patrols in areas which could be targeted by anti-migrant activists.
Members of the elite Special Detective Unit, who have been following many of the violent agitators, are now streamlining how their intelligence gets to local management who will then order resources to watch different areas which could potentially be under threat.
‘Go through social media’