New policing plan ‘inoperable’

Under the new local policing model that came into effect at the start of the month a garda on patrol in Dowra could be called to deal with a matter on the Cavan-Meath border.

The change, part of a new three county divisional structure, has been described as “inoperable” by Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith, who says he intends to raise the matter with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

On December 3 the Cavan-Monaghan Garda division merged with neighbouring Louth. The new policing area stretches from Dowra to Drogheda and incorporates three garda districts.

It is just one of two such three county structures; the other being Sligo-Leitrim and Donegal, but this will once again split come June 2024.

Previous plans for three county divisions in other parts of the country have similarly been reversed.

First announced by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, there are four functional areas - Community Engagement, Crime, Performance Assurance and Business Services. Each of which will be led by a superintendent, with two Chief Superintendents assigned - based in Monaghan and Louth.

There is also a Community Engagement unit centred at each of four main divisional garda stations: Cavan Town, Monaghan Town, Dundalk, and also Drogheda.

The divisional headquarters for the entire region will be located at the Millennium Centre in Dundalk, with a crime hub set to be established in Bailieborough, Performance Assurance in Carrickmacross, and Business Services located in Drogheda.

In Cavan Superintendent Shaun Grant takes the helm of Cavan Community Engagement, with Detective Superintendent Gordon Englishby heading up Crime from Bailieborough.

It was confirmed recently by Comm Harris that a new Cyber Crime unit will also be placed in Bailieborough when the new garda building is finally completed, now expected to open early in Q2 2024.

Within county boundaries districts will be amalgamated, with all garda stations to be ‘aligned’ to the Community Engagement Functional Areas. All garda members and staff will ‘continue to be geographically dispersed’ across the newly merged three county division.

‘Garda roles and core duties under Crime and Community Engagement Functional Areas will remain unchanged,’ says the document seen by the Celt, which adds that all incidents reported will be “automatically allocated” to a Community Engagement or Crime Functional Area, or Roads Policing. This includes historic incidents.

The garda PULSE system is meanwhile set to be updated to take account of the change, and the transfer of incidents will be facilitated between divisions.

Deputy Smith has previously described the plan to amalgamate the Cavan-Monaghan Garda Division with Louth as “crazy stuff” in the Dáil when addressing An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Minister McEntee. Speaking to the Celt he doubled down on that position.

“Firstly I don’t agree with this three county structure. I believe our division should remain the same as it has done and the new structure will not be sufficiently responsive to meet the policing needs in this area,” stated Deputy Smith. “It is taking key decision making further away from communities. If we have learned anything from recent years its that policing should be brought as close to the communities they’re in as possible.”

While he agrees with the setting up of areas with specific responsibility, he pointed to the lack of members assigned to the Divisional Drug Unit in Cavan-Monaghan as an area of continuing concern.

“A structure should not arise where the likes of West Cavan will be administered from the east coast, literally on the outskirts of Dublin today, an area already with a very large urban centre population and difficult policing challenges to deal with it their own right.”

Deputy Smith next recognised the “unique policing demands” reflected in the Border region.

“It is a very long land border touching a different jurisdiction, and in my will be inoperable. It will not give the best return on garda work. I have always stated that due to the unique policing demands of the border region that these needs must not be ignored, and have to be taken into account in any attempts to rearrange or restructure garda divisions

“I do not believe the new structures will be adequate to serve those demands,” concluded Deputy Smith.