Mr. Martin Callinan:

I agree. It is probably convenient to deal with the two topics. I will move on to speak briefly about effective community policing. When the national model of community policing was launched on 26 January 2009 it was rolled out nationwide. This involved introducing community policing into every Garda district where it did not exist in the first place and to support districts where community policing was already in place.

As no two districts in Ireland are the same, many community policing teams are faced with many challenges. Their aim is to build a support network that covers all aspects of the community, from business to residential. The national model focuses on the development of good practice and case studies of areas which have a firmly established tradition of community policing.

One of the primary tasks of the National Community Policing Office is to ensure that good practice is established, supported and passed on to other Garda community policing units. This is spread through various means such as newsletters, the Garda website, information seminars and meetings. One such initiative of the Garda community policing office has been the production of a quarterly community policing newsletter called Community Times. It is produced in electronic format, is placed on the Garda website and is distributed via Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert representatives. The newsletter provides a platform for the sharing of good practice and initiatives between community policing teams and allows members of the public to view the initiatives of community policing from around the country and keeps them up to date with current issues on crime prevention, joint policing committees, diversity, Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch.

Community policing training is currently being delivered by the Garda in-service section of the Garda College on a nationwide basis. This will upskill community gardaí to maximise their efficiency in their day to day duties. The National Community Policing Office keeps community policing resourced through its communications toolkit which is situated on the Garda portal. Through this toolkit community policing can view, download and use practical material such as read-to-go presentations on various community topics, booklets, how-to guides, etc.

During each year the National Community Policing Office supports two Garda Community Safety weeks, otherwise known as Supporting Safer Communities Campaigns, by producing material, guides and briefing material for the weeks set by me to assist community policing during them. These weeks focus on community policing and crime prevention in the community.

The national model of community policing identifies ten key pillars which encompass a shared vision and responsibility to ensure a safer community and a higher quality of life for all. Those ten key pillars are empowerment, Garda-community partnerships, problem solving, crime prevention and reduction, enforcement, accessibility, collaborative engagement, visibility, improved response and accountability.