NOBODY IS safe in a society where drug gangs fight for control of lucrative markets. And the recession is likely to contribute to an increase in crime.
But rather than respond in a knee-jerk fashion to demands for an increase in Garda overtime, longer prison sentences and more draconian legislation, we should concentrate on what can be done with existing resources and on how the community can be motivated to fight against crime. In that regard, active co-operation by law-abiding citizens with An Garda Síochána is one of the most important elements in crime prevention and detection.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern launched a two-year consultation process last week that will result in the first White Paper on crime. It is an important development and will seek the views of a wide range of interested and professional parties. After a decade of legislative reform and extensive investment in the criminal justice system, the White Paper will consider whether new and better ways may be available to tackle crime-related challenges. Given the breadth of the review, the work should be thorough. But two years of discussion does not reflect the urgency of the situation. It should not delay a Government undertaking to legalise wire-taps in the prosecution of criminals.
There has been a 25 per cent increase in drugs-related offences during the past year. And recent days have seen a spiral of gangland killings on the streets of Dublin. In spite of that, it is important to maintain perspective. There have been considerable Garda successes. Large quantities of drugs have been seized. Gang members have been jailed. Intensive surveillance has led to the disruption of criminal activity. And public involvement has led to the arrest of would-be assassins.
That last development shows what can be achieved when concerned citizens alert the Garda about suspicious activity. That is the crux of the issue. Too often, local people are terrified by gang members and, on occasion, are forced to hide guns and drugs for them. If they can be persuaded that supplying information to the Garda will remove such threats, a great advance will have been made. Intensive surveillance will be needed in those areas, including foot patrols, as a normalisation process. Long-term success will be based on better police intelligence.
Those living in leafy suburbs also have obligations. This is where recreational drug-users, small-time pushers and the professionals who launder the illegal profits of gangland criminals live. It is, in effect, the heart of the problem. For so long as these individuals are allowed free rein, the drug gangs will flourish and death will stalk our streets.
If we are serious about enforcing the law and tackling the illegal drugs trade, we cannot close our eyes to the contributions made by white-collar criminals. Locking up minor offenders would fill the prisons. A system of restorative justice would be a better alternative. But others should be jailed. It will take a deliberate shift in approach to alter ambivalent attitudes that have emerged in recent years.