Top level Irish Garda officers will begin from tomorrow a two-day crime summit in the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary.
Their aim is to discuss nationwide operations against organised gang crime, while also maintaining public policing in the face of continuing Government cuts. It is expected that the targeting of drug gangs, travelling burglary gangs and gun crime will be amongst the more pressing issues to be discussed.
The conference, gets under-way as news emerges that a dedicated operation to reduce burglaries and catch the most prolific criminals has seen some 4,000 criminal cases reach the courts. In the latest data obtained from ‘Operation Fiacla,’ some 6,972 arrests have taken place, since its inception back in the spring of last year to the end of last month, accounting for some 3,971 criminal charges.
While many day to day break-ins are simply opportunistic burglary, intelligence gathered shows clearly that other crimes are committed on a full commercial scale, often by gangs using fast cars while seeking to offset the effect of detection and seizure of drugs and drug mony. Because gangs have a national reach, it is crucial for officers from across the State to meet regularly to discuss current operations and share intelligence.
New structures for community policing will also be a major part of discussions over Wednesday and Thursday in Templemore.
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