The number of so-called "joyriding" incidents has risen sharply in recentyears, writes Joe Humphreys, according to both the Garda andcommunity activists
Less than 24 hours after two gardaí were killed by speeding youths in a stolen car in south Dublin, a separate group of youths of the opposite side of the city were engaging in the same so-called pursuit of "joyriding".
According to local activist Mr John Currie, three or four teenagers were seen street-racing on Sunday night in a Darndale estate in a number of aged saloon cars.
"People seemed to think that joyriding had stopped because it was out of the news," says Mr Currie. "It has not stopped and, no matter what, it will not stop. We may reduce it or deter some people from getting involved, but that's the best we can hope for."
His view does not seem overly pessimistic when one examines Garda figures for the "unauthorised taking of vehicles" - as "joyriding" is categorised, to distinguish it from vehicle larceny. The former refers specifically to the situation where vehicles are stolen and driven for some time before being burned-out or abandoned.
Such unauthorised takings have risen sharply in recent years, from 10,915 in 1988 to 15, 964 in 2000. Several Dublin communities have reported an upsurge of cases in recent months.
Community activists say the problem is being fuelled by the abandonment of cars which have failed the National Car Test.
Two years ago, South Dublin County Council reported that about 16,000 cars had been dumped in the area in the first six months of the test, many having first been picked up by car thieves for small sums of money.
The underlying causes are difficult to pin down, however.
A report published last year by the Priorswood Joyriding Task Force, of which Mr Currie is chairman, identified a number of background factors, chief among them educational and social disadvantage.
Cultural factors were also seen as playing a crucial role, and in particular a glamorisation of car-theft among peers, which "continues even in death, or perhaps particularly in death".
The report notes: "A major part of the attraction of joyriding seems to be the fact that it is both illegal and dangerous. Getting caught in the act of taking the car by the owner, or getting chased by the gardaí, far from being regarded as negative consequences, are actually seen as adding to the excitement."
Among people lacking self-esteem, it is a means of gaining status, the report states. "They do not place a high value on either themselves or other people. Many of those involved in joyriding attach little value to their lives and see little future for themselves.
"Even joyriders who have seen family members and close friends killed or seriously injured, or who have themselves killed or injured someone, are reported to have continued joyriding, sometimes with virtually no interruption."
The report calls for a series of responses, including the creation of opportunities for young people "to meet their developmental needs in positive ways" and the development of strategies to counteract negatives influences on their lives.
"The increasing influence of the values of materialism and hedonism within Irish society over the last 20 years has obviously had a major impact on young people," notes the report, for which car thieves and community activists were interviewed.
Another important aspect relates to the perception of the justice system. "This seems to be characterised by a belief that they are unlikely to be caught and that even if they are, the penalties will be relatively trivial," the report says. "There is a widespread view that the legal sanctions used against joyriders are ineffective."
The view is echoed by gardaí who complain of difficulties in securing convictions against largely juvenile offenders.
One of the most serious cases of recent years involved a stolen Saab crashing into a car at Dublin's Townsend Street in September 1999, killing its two occupants. Last year, the man who was alleged to have driven the car was acquitted of all charges.
Labour Party TD Mr Tommy Broughan, a long-time campaigner on the issue, believes tougher penalties need to be introduced. Two years ago, he published a Private Members Bill which would have made "joyriding" a criminal offence.
"We also proposed a package of measures aimed at supporting disadvantaged communities, including an anti-joyriding programme in schools and targeted investment in youth and sports facilities. All these ideas were rejected out of hand by Fianna Fáil and it has ignored this issue since then."
He adds: "The fact that gardaí cannot use 'stingers' against a stolen car unless that car is being used in the commission of a specific crime illustrates just how out of date the law is at present."
Each Garda station holds just a couple of such devices, which comprise of a chain of spikes aimed at puncturing the tyres of a stolen vehicle.
Mr Currie also criticises what he perceives as a lack of Government support for projects such as that in Priorswood. The group was allocated £100,000 (€127,000) in the last Budget to enable it employ a project manager, who ironically began work just yesterday.
However, he says, "the amount of money we have got overall is a pittance. There are no facilities in this area whatsoever." Enforcement alone, he adds, will not solve the problem. "It's like drug-dealing; if you take one dealer out you'll have another one to step in tomorrow. A lot more work has to be done in schools to educate people from a very young age about the dangers of drugs, joyriding and other anti-social behaviour."