A new survey shows a “clear and urgent public demand” for greater use of CCTV to help tackle crime, Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan has said.
In an Irish Independent survey from August, which asked people from all areas of Dublin about whether more CCTV cameras were needed, 85% of respondents, across all age groups, said that they supported greater usage of CCTV.
Geoghegan said “the survey findings send a very clear message. The public wants An Garda Síochána to have access to CCTV to support frontline policing, deter crime and improve public safety.”
The Dublin Bay South TD said, “CCTV is not a replacement for Gardaí on our streets, but it is an important tool that can help Gardaí prevent crime, identify offenders and gather evidence, and should be used in tandem with regular patrols by officers.”
Geoghegan did acknowledge that privacy concerns were raised by around a third of respondents to the survey.
The survey found that a number of parks around Dublin had been cited as being “areas of concern” for anti-social behaviour like Sean Moore Park, Phoenix Park, Fairview Park, Mountjoy Square.
In other parks like Honeypark in Dún Laoghaire, respondents reported an increase in anti-social behaviour since CCTV cameras were recently removed.
“This isn’t about labelling specific parks or areas. It is simply about trying to establish where new CCTV may be best deployed as an anti-crime measure. All communities would welcome such supports,” Geoghegan said.
Research from Fine Gael, which has controlled the Minister for Justice brief for 14 of the 15 years it has been in government since 2011, found that there are 209 Garda-operated CCTV cameras across the Dublin Metropolitan area, with no increase on that number in years, which translates to roughly one camera for every 6,000 people.
Geoghegan said Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan confirmed to him in March that An Garda Síochána is developing a new national CCTV strategy, and believes it should be published and implemented urgently.
“The public has spoken clearly, with 85pc supporting increased use of CCTV in areas affected by crime. Senior Garda management has also made clear how important CCTV is to frontline enforcement; we now need to see the national CCTV strategy.”
“It should set out how we move towards a modern, integrated CCTV network across Dublin and the country that Gardaí can use effectively,” Geoghegan said.