The announcement of 20 new Gardaí for the city centre is being met by some with relief and cautious optimism by others. As Limerick digested the news, we took to Shannon-side streets to ask residents for their take.
The allocation recently prompted debate in the Dáil. Independent Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue pressed for “equality for city and county,” asking how many recruits represent a net increase rather than just replacements. Minister O’Callaghan called the city allocation “a positive story” while stressing Garda deployment is a matter for Garda management.
One of our street interviewees, Dan, backed the increase in Gardaí but said it had to be matched by basics. “More recruitment and better equipment, that’s a good way forward. People deserve a decent salary for a tough job,” he said, adding, “I support more Gardaí everywhere, because it’s not just here, it’s happening everywhere.”
For John Kennedy, visibility is the key. “If more people in the city saw Gardaí around the place, they might be more adherent to laws.”
Coming from the countryside, Dale was clear about his experience. “I never see them out in the county anyway… mostly you see Gardaí in the city,” Dale said, accepting the county needs attention while drawing a contrast. “In some villages it’d be [an issue], but not compared to the city, there’s a lot more crime going on here.”
Sean Quigley welcomed patrols for reassurance rather than fear. While he’s never faced it himself, Sean says “you do hear a lot of people running into trouble around the city… just seeing them around would be a bit better, for peace of mind.” He also pointed beyond just policing solutions, commenting on the courts themselves: “You’d hear from people that there’s not enough actual convictions… that’s a problem with the country overall.”
But for many, the issue runs deeper than just numbers. For Kevin Heffernan, the missing piece is community policing, which he says has been “under-represented for the last 10 or 15 years.” He praised a plain-clothes outreach model pairing officers with specialists as well, citing “CAST, Community Access Social Team, who work with mental health. They’ve been hugely successful in the city since they started.” For Heffernan, the issue is really about community. “Young people have nothing to do and nowhere to go… youth clubs that were all over Ireland are gone,” he said.
Kevin Hylend commented on the nature of local policing. “We need the person in your neighbourhood you actually know by first name.” Right now, he said, “they’re just in the car… we only hear about them in an emergency, or when something goes wrong.”
Hylend cautioned against caricature and “loony” overreactions, describing much of what people see as “secondary crime… a response to people’s situation, not some Machiavellian ‘I’m going to do evil’ plan,” he said.
Everyone seemed satisfied with an increase in Gardaí and agreed the city is where anti-social behaviour and crimes of poverty are most concentrated. At the same time, most agreed the county shouldn’t be left behind and stressed the importance of better wages of conditions for the Garda. More consistently than anything else, those we spoke to echoed how difficult the job can be.
For now, Limerick city will see more uniforms on the beat. Whether rural residents get the same treatment remains the open question.
