The Labour Party has proposed the creation of a new rank of "community garda" and the appointment of 2,000 extra gardaí as part of a series of plans aimed at reforming the Garda Síochána.
The proposals are aimed at making community policing one of the highest priorities in the Garda Síochána through the creation of a comprehensive community policing network and local policing forums.
The party's community policing document, published yesterday afternoon, also calls for the establishment of an independent Garda authority made up of civilians to whom Garda management would report, as is the case in Northern Ireland.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte described the document as being "as important as any we will launch between now and the general election" and "addresses very fundamental questions of reform of policing".
"These are very major paradigm shifts," he said. "It seeks to reconnect policing to communities and it is a radical proposed shake-up of policy."
The report states there are currently only 400 officers assigned to community policing out of more than 12,000 officers, and that they are liable to be pulled away from this work whenever there is a staff shortage or emergency.
The document highlights the current status of community policing within the Garda Síochána, and cites an internal Garda management report from 2004 that says it is "poorly organised, suffers from a diversion of resources and lacks performance management and planning".
The Labour policy advocates the creation of a new rank of community garda below the rank of sergeant for each community in the country.
These community gardaí would report to a senior garda in charge at each station, who would in turn report to an inspector in charge of community policing at district level.
The plan also calls for the creation of local policing forums that would allow local Garda management to interact with the local community on priorities and other issues.
Labour justice spokesman Brendan Howlin said the party would also move to create a new independent Garda authority made up of civilians who would be nominated by the Government, but whose approval would be a matter for the Oireachtas Committee on Justice.