Gardai increase level of patrols in Sean Walsh Park

FOLLOWING resident’s calls for more safety measures in Sean Walsh Park, South Dublin County Council will now seek the Gardai’s views on installing additional CCTV cameras in a bid to tackle antisocial behaviour and violent attacks.

The report from the council comes after residents of the nearby Watergate estate in Tallaght gathered on Saturday, February 19, to voice their concerns and requests for measures to increase safety in the park.

Tallaght councillor Teresa Costello had a motion in at a recent council meeting asking for the Garda to carry out a report to request additional CCTV in the park.

In their response, the council stated that they have “regular and ongoing contact” with the Gardai in relation to safety and security in Sean Walsh Park.

“Requests have been received from the Gardai for release of CCTV footage from the park in relation to a number of incidents that have occurred in the park since the start of the year,” the local authority said in their response.

“These requests have been responded to and the incidents in question have been discussed between the council and the Gardai.  The Gardai have advised that they have increased their level of patrols and surveillance in the park in response to these incidents.”

A meeting has been requested with the community garda to discuss this issue and determine if further action on either the part of the council or the Gardai is required, and it is expected that this meeting will take place in the coming weeks.

The council confirmed that there are CCTV in place at a number of locations in the park, including at the playground and at the bridge across the N81 which leads from the park to the Square Shopping Centre. The views of the Gardai will now be sought following the request for additional CCTV cameras in the park, as community CCTV systems must be authorised by the Garda Commissioner.

Some of the requests from local residents in the area to increase safety in the park and deter antisocial behaviour included the implementation of park rangers and increased lighting. In response to this, the council said that the only route that currently has public lighting in the park is the route from the roundabout at Old Bawn Community School to the bridge across the N81, adding that: “in general public lighting is not provided within parks.”

In their response to the issues, the council went on to say: “The encouragement of active and positive use of the park is considered to be the best way to eliminate anti-social behaviour in the park.

“In this regard it should be noted that the following positive developments have either taken place in the park in recent years or are planned for the coming years – substantial footpath improvements have been carried out over a number of years, development of an all-weather playing pitch is planned, the Part 8 for this was approved in 2021, bulb planting under the annual improvement works programme will be carried out later this year and public lighting is due to be installed under the improvement works programme close to St Martin’s school.”