People ‘feel intimidated’ by extra garda presence in area

SOME people in West Tallaght feel “intimidated” by the increased garda presence in the area after issues with anti-social behaviour on local buses, according to a councillor.

Leah Whelan, a Solidarity councillor for Tallaght South, shared her concerns at Monday’s monthly meeting of the Tallaght Area Committee.

The topic of anti-social behaviour in the area, its impact on the bus service and the resultant additional garda resources, was discussed at the meeting.

Cllr Whelan said: “My opinion is that ‘over-policing’ is not the final call.

“I’ve had people tell me that, at the moment, gardaí are sitting around in spots in Killinarden, just waiting and watching, which makes people feel intimidated.”

The superintendent of Tallaght Garda Station, Tomas Gormley, told The Echo that the extra garda resources are in the area to combat anti-social behaviour and to provide a sense of safety.

“People want to see high visibility policing,” Supt Gormley said. “It’s community gardaí that are doing the patrols, and they’re proactive patrols on the roads and on the buses.

“People have been crying out for more guards in the area and they’re now being provided.

“If something happens, it should be reported to the relevant authority – we’re not there to intimidate, we’re there to keep people safe.”

Cllr Whelan’s party colleague, Cllr Kieran Mahon, referred to an emergency transport forum meeting that was held the previous week and how the gardaí were the only people who could offer effective reassurances.

“At the meeting last Tuesday, the only people who were able to give the guarantees that the drivers and the unions needed were gardaí,” said Cllr Mahon on Monday.

“That’s a very, very different thing to me, thinking that the gardaí and more punishment and more policing in the area and more cameras is the way to resolve the issue.

“The reality is, for the trade unions and the drivers, the gardaí were the only people able to give the recommendations needed to get the buses back up and running in the short-term.

“I’m not suggesting that I see more policing in our communities as the solution, because I see other interventions, long-term, being the solution.”

Cllr Whelan stated that a renewed focus should be placed on young people in the area and providing opportunities for them to have positive outlets and engage in the community positively.

“I think we should get into the nitty-gritty of what our young people are doing, where they’re going after school to hang out,” she said.

“I teach 11- to 17-year-olds who constantly tell me they’re sick of hanging around and doing nothing.”

Cllr Whelan later added: “If we get our young people more involved and more engaged with local services, it doesn’t take away from the crucial point that drivers and passengers deserve safety, deserve to be able to go to work, get to and from work safely, and be safe in their job.”