Current level of policing not adequate, says publicans
More than 9 out of 10 Dublin publicans (96%) say they are concerned about the current level of policing in the capital, according to a survey conducted by the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) of 350 pubs from across Dublin.
Almost half (48%) of all Dublin pubs also say their customers have expressed security concerns about being on the streets in the last 12 months. During that same period, Dublin pubs have had to call An Garda Síochána an average of four times, while one in eight Dublin pubs had to contact the police 10 times or more.
The LVA believes that it is vital the Government’s Taskforce for Dublin City Centre must press for the provision of additional policing resources on the city’s streets in its upcoming recommendations, while the government must also provide funding for such policing in the upcoming budget.
Survey results
Reacting to the survey, CEO of the LVA, Donall O’Keeffe said, “For quite some time now our members have been expressing concern about the level of policing in Dublin. The full extent of that unease is highlighted in these survey results, with more than 9 out of every 10 pubs in Dublin indicating their worry around the current policing levels on our streets.
“Almost half of all pubs in Dublin say their customers are also expressing alarm about their safety when on the streets going to and from these premises. Given the importance of hospitality towards the capital’s general tourism offering this is something we all should be taking heed of.
“We are in regular contact with An Garda Síochána on these matters, who are doing excellent work with the resources that they have. But this does seem to come down to questions of resourcing. Clearly the Gardaí need more personnel to be fully equipped to maintain a strong policing presence on the streets of the capital and this is something that the Government should be providing.
“There also has to be the strategic choices made to utilise these resources in a visible way. We have seen this can be done when necessary, such as the period in the run up to Christmas last year, following the riots. It’s very important to see policing levels start approaching that level again, for people’s security and for the image of Dublin. This needs to be addressed to ensure that people remain comfortable to socialise in Dublin.
“We fully hope and expect the Government’s Taskforce on Dublin City Centre will seek more police on the streets of Dublin when they publish their recommendations shortly. That then needs to be followed up by the Government delivering the funding needed in Budget 2025, funding that will allow An Garda Síochána to have a strong, sustained policing presence on the streets throughout Dublin,” O’Keeffe concluded.
