Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly is confident his new policy of saturating Galway city centre with uniformed gardaí will not push petty crime into the suburbs.
Despite acknowledging a rise in firearm offences, and a perception of increased gang activity across city suburbs, Tuam and Ballinasloe, the State’s top cop refused to be drawn on why Galway city was chosen for the country’s third ever high visibility policing initiative.
Speaking to reporters at the Garda regional and divisional headquarters in Renmore, Commissioner Kelly said from today, an extra 13 gardaí will be deployed from Mill Street and Salthill Garda barracks to run seven high visibility patrol (HVP ) beats from 8am to 4am, every day. He also aims to appoint a new Galway city chief of police “within months” after Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche retired in June.
The introduction of the HVPs follows the allocation of 28 new gardaí to the Galway Division through transfers from other areas, and new recruits. HVP initiatives have been previously rolled out in Dublin, Cork and parts of Limerick.
Commissioner Kelly expects national Garda numbers to hit 15,000 nationally this year – the strongest the force has been since 1922 – with an aspiration for 16,500 within five years, including a “significant uplift” in the 600 members currently serving in the Galway Division.
