Sinn Féin wants an end to current recruitment, promotion and overtime embargoes in the Garda Síochána, under a set of proposals outlined in a policy document unveiled by the party’s justice spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
There are 24 proposals in Tackling Crime – Making Communities Safe, among them the scrapping of the Garda Reserve, with the funds being used instead to employ full-time gardaí.
Sinn Féin would increase funding for Garda Drugs Units and guarantee the future of the "Dial to Stop Drug Dealing" non-Garda confidential phoneline.
The party seeks to "tackle organised crime" by ensuring that existing laws are used more effectively together with sufficient resources to ensure more robust and systematic investigations.
Sinn Féin also proposes that all monies confiscated by the Criminal Assets Bureau should be invested in the communities worst-affected by crime.
Speaking outside the Department of Justice yesterday Mr Ó Snodaigh, who is seeking to retain his Dáil seat in Dublin South-Central, said: "The key point in tackling crime in Ireland today is prevention, which saves money for the Exchequer. If we invest in prevention, rather than afterwards, then we will have a better and a safer society.
There should be "more community gardaí on the streets, dealing with the public and enhancing the relationship between the Garda Síochána and the community", he said. "If we invest the resources that An Garda Síochána have in community policing, we will see a safer and a better society."
Mr Ó Snodaigh added: "We would encourage any government and every other party to look at them because they are credible proposalsm and there is no reason to date that any government shouldn't have taken these steps."
