THE appearance of vigilantes on our streets is a most frightening development" but is perhaps understandable given the Government's failure to deal with the growing crime problem, according to an editorial in the Garda Review.
The possibility of a section of the community taking on the roles of "judge, jury and executioner was predictable and, perhaps, understandable in the light of the continued failure of the Government to confront and address the overall escalation of crime in recent years".
There is a reluctance "almost to the point of denial" by the Government and senior Garda management to acknowledge that the war against crime is being lost, the editorial continues.
"How often have we heard the Minister state, in the aftermath of a serious incident, that she has consulted the Garda Commissioner and that he has assured her that he is satisfied with available resources?" asks the Garda Review, adding that the force is 700 members below approved strength.
"Another interesting concept" advanced by Garda management recently, says the editorial, is the proposition that the Garda
Siochana alone cannot be held responsible for policing. This "rings hollow in the wake of the emergence of vigilantes".
"If a police force is not responsible for the maintenance of public order, who should take the blame the parents, teachers or the churches? No, of course not. While we all have responsibilities to each other, the ultimate responsibility for policing rests exclusively with the police and the Government elected by the people, a cling on their behalf in accordance with the Constitution. The alternative is a return to the law of the jungle, as we have just witnessed in the past few weeks."