With the future of joint policing committees in Cavan and Monaghan hanging in the balance at government level, a local garda superintendent has called on the "support" of Monaghan JPC as he "fights" for adequate garda numbers here. Superintendent Pat O'Connell was responding to a question at the last public Monaghan JPC meeting put to him by Councillor Colm Carthy about garda resources in this area.
Opening the first Monaghan JPC meeting since before the pandemic, Chairperson Cllr Brian McKenna said "JPCs are designed to provide a forum to support cooperation and consultation on policing and crime issues between An
Garda Síochána, local authority officials, elected representatives and the community and voluntary sectors".
Monaghan JPC was the first in the country to create Community Alert and property marking schemes. Monaghan JPC also works with Largy College on its anti-racism programme and the Comhairle na Óg "Don't Pour Your Dreams Away" alcohol awareness programme in Monaghan. The most recent meeting of the JPC was attended by members of the Tearmann Domestic Abuse support service in Monaghan who came together with members of the specialist Garda domestic abuse unit.
Just this week on Northern Sound, Cavan Councillor Shane P. O'Reilly called for government plans to scrap JPCs, to be scrapped instead. A bill which would see Joint Policing Committees replaced by a non-elected model has already passed through the Dáil and is to go before the Seanad next week. Councillor O'Reilly is objecting to the bill because he says if JPCs are scrapped, the public will lose its conduit to affect change in An Garda Síochána at a local level, and vice versa.
The way in which Joint Policing Committees can affect change at local level for citizens, community groups and Gardaí was evident when Superintendent Pat O'Connell said: "The Commissioner has said it is up to local managers to make their case for additional resources. We are fighting for our quota of officers and added: "We have to keep banging on the table - with your support - to get additional resources allocated to us." The Gardaí and JPC Chairman also thanked the local media for their support.
