New safety partnership set to meet

Replacement body for Joint Policing Committee

The first two meetings of the new Tipperary Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) are to take place before the end of this year.

Ireland’s LCSPs are to replace the Joint Policing Committees (JPCs), which were somewhat controversially disbanded last year. The partnerships are to provide a forum for public representatives to discuss crime with local garda officials.

Former councillor Noel Coonan – the last chairman of Tipperary JPC – was last year announced as the inaugural chairperson of the new Tipperary LCSP. This week’s meeting of Tipperary Co Council heard that work would now commence on nominations for the new committee; once approved by the Minister for Justice, the first meeting of the LCSP would take place.

Director of Services Brian Beck anticipated the first two meetings of the new forum would take place before the end of this year. The first would be to bring together an initial 20-person membership made up of elected representatives as well as members of An Garda Síochána, the HSE and Tusla. Groups working with the Public Participation Network would also be represented. Additional membership of up to 10 persons would be confirmed at the second meeting.

Mr Beck said the LCSP would meet six times per year. A community safety action plan would be put in place in early 2026. It would set out actions to be taken to improve community safety and allow communities to hold local services accountable for implementation of the plan. The plan would focus on a range of measures, from dealing with anti-social behaviour and delivering youth justice measures, to improving refuse collection, street lighting and access to services.

MESSAGES TO THE GARDAÍ

Cllr Pat English said the old JPC model worked well and he was one of many to voice disappointment over their disbandment. He said the JPCs helped “people on the ground” get messages to the gardaí concerning crime in their community; it would be vital for the new LCSP to continue in a similar vein, Cllr English said.

Cllr Seán Ryan said it was important to get the new LCSP up and running as soon as possible. He pointed out that the JPCs were used to roll out community CCTV schemes and this was an “essential component” of the council’s work.

Cllr Jim Ryan said the council would have to find money in its own resources to upgrade CCTV schemes in Tipperary towns. He spoke of cameras not working in one town.

Mr Beck said the council put money aside for this purpose as part of this year’s commercial rates increase. That funding is still there and is to be utilised for CCTV schemes that have received authorisation from the Garda Commissioner. Mr Beck agreed that the issue is one of concern for many local communities.

The Local Community Safety Partnership is to be made of up of residents, community representatives (including youth, new communities and voluntary sector representation), and business and education sector representation, as well as the relevant public services and local authorities.

In addition to discussing matters of crime and public safety, the LCSP will be able to apply for funding from the Community Safety Fund, which aims to ensure that the proceeds of crime seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) are reinvested back into communities.