It is time to move beyond liberal humbug and see such crime for what it is . . . and stop making excuses that cost gardai their lives, argues P.J. Stone
Following the deaths of Garda Anthony Tighe and Garda Michael Padden, we in An Garda Síochána appreciated the amount of public support and genuine outpouring of anger and resentment towards those who perpetrate vicious crime against citizens and gardaí. It is clear the vast majority of people do not accept that gardaí are fair game for the lawbreakers.
In our country, it is the victims who serve the sentence. Too many law-abiding citizens are the real prisoners; locked up in their homes because of the inability of the State to deal effectively with thuggery and mayhem from a small percentage of people. Although we have to be careful to avoid knee-jerk reactions to tragic events, it is time to ask ourselves a few searching questions. To begin with, what sort of society do we want to live in?
For years we have been brainwashed by liberals who convinced us the symptoms of crime are hereditary and almost unavoidable. There are many excuses for those criminals young and old who engage in crime. We, the law- abiding citizens, will just have to put up with being attacked, robbed and even killed by those who have received a rough deal from life. Is this true democracy?
Well, I want to encourage all the law-abiding citizens to refuse to accept a status quo which is contributing to their anxiety about crime, whether in their homes and on the streets. The reasonable voice which says: "It is time to put an end to the softly-softly approach to criminal activity" needs to be heard. It is time young people, from whatever age, learn that being involved in crime is going to cost them dearly in personal freedom. Break the law, commit violent crime, and you are going to be incarcerated until there is some assurance the rest of society can feel safe from the threat.
We must make no apologies for this type of approach to criminality, and we have to resist those who accuse us of Dickensian tactics in dealing with young lawbreakers. We should not be so hasty in dismissing tried and tested approaches to lawlessness - approaches tempered with a respect for human rights. The reality is that a few years ago Ireland was one of the safest societies in the world. Violent crime was rare. Nowadays we are reaching the dangerous territory of acceptance and inevitability on crime. The thug is winning in many respects and we must never accept this.
Garda Anthony Tighe and Garda Michael Padden died while endeavouring to ensure other people were safe, not just in the comfort of their homes, but on a stretch of roadway at Stillorgan at 6 a.m. on that fateful day.
Without convicting anybody of any crime, there is a need to question some of the comments made on this tragedy in recent days, especially on the shortage of juvenile spaces. The driver of the car involved in this incident, was, on February 22nd, 2002, given probation for 12 months on a series of charges, no less than 24 in total. Is this justice for all?
The young criminal was afforded the probation bond for 12 months. Some people have put the notion forward that this person was given this probation because there were no juvenile detention places. That is not the case. If this young person had to be given a custodial sentence, it would have been in St Patrick's Institution, and not Oberstown, as has been put forward by some political commentators.
There was no difficulty on space, in my opinion. It is also imperative we offer the services, facilities, expertise and staffing to institutions such as Oberstown so corrective supervision can be maintained.
One major question remains following this tragedy. Why was this young person at liberty? And, having been convicted of the crimes referred to - some of them serious - why was the custodial sentence not imposed? At a minimum, the next government should ensure the discretionary power in sentencing no longer applies.
In specific offences - where life has been threatened or where there is a likelihood serious injury could have been caused to any person, not just by a motor vehicle but by the use of any type of weapon - conviction in the courts must ensure there is a sentence passed, and that it is served in full, without remission. This approach must be adopted if we are to give people the confidence that members of An Garda Síochána are in a position to do their job.
The incoming government should agree, urgently, to set up an Optimum Numbers Survey to look at the real number of gardaí required to police this State. An Garda Síochána must feel secure that it has the resources and numbers to deal properly with habitual criminals and the increase in public order offences.
It is now time that the balance was swung back in favour of the majority - the law-abiding people. It is now time to forget the crocodile tears of concern over young people, whom, we are told, have no choices, and are destined for a life of crime. If this is so, then obviously a co-ordinated interaction between the various State agencies does not exist.
If it is believed that young people are going down the path of crime, and if their parents take no action to prevent it, should not the State intervene, and take such young people into care? A tough question, certainly, but one we must face up to.
We have been down this road in the past and now for different reasons we must consider it as an option once again.
For those who may question a "get tough and real" approach, I have one question. Do you have any contrary, workable solution? Because if you do, we need to hear it. The techniques used in recent years have failed.
Let's look at some fresh approaches. Let's look again at lengthy prison sentences.
Let's take the novelty away from a custodial sentence.
Let's make sure that having lost their liberty, offenders are not anxious to return upon release. Perhaps we need to address the ongoing cycle of prison and release with a more concerted and lengthy approach on first sentence.
If we are not prepared to grasp the nettle on these issues now, if we are not prepared to hand back to ordinary respectable law-abiding citizens the right to live their lives without fear, then Anthony Tighe and Michael Padden will have died in vain. Gardaí who lose their lives in the coming years will die in vain.
Surely their ultimate sacrifice deserves more from those we serve.
• P.J. Stone is general secretary of the Garda Representative Association