DURING THE past 12 years, a range of official documents was commissioned on how State agencies and the criminal justice system could best respond to crime, public-order offences, recidivism and community needs. Some recommendations were implemented. But difficult decisions were put on hold. And now Dermot Ahern has embarked on a new round of public consultations in connection with a White Paper on Crime.
It is hard to escape the conclusion that this is mainly a public-relations exercise, designed to provide some degree of comfort and protection for the Minister for Justice when the number of burglary, theft, physical assault and public-order offences rises in line with falling living standards, growing levels of unemployment and increasing poverty. The timing is significant. A two-year consultation process on various complex issues will lead to the publication of a White Paper in 2011. And legislation may eventually emerge in 2012, the optimum date for a general election.
The current process is supposed to address “crime prevention and community safety” and review the impact of crime on the quality of life of individuals and society as a whole. Questions will be asked about how scarce resources can be utilised more effectively; how community links with the Garda Síochána can be improved; on the responsibilities of parents; community-based sentences and other matters. It reflects a considered and progressive approach. But the National Crime Forum and the National Crime Council dealt with these issues in considerable detail some years ago.
Crime is linked to a lack of opportunity and social mobility. Nearly three-quarters of all District Court offenders come from economically deprived areas. And yet the educational, health and other services that were recently put in place to address these particular problems are being scaled back. The National Crime Council, following years of research and public consultation, published a hugely ambitious Crime Prevention Strategy for Ireland six years ago. Designed to serve as an important aid to policy formulation, many of its recommendations have gathered dust. The council has been abolished by Mr Ahern.
The Minister has now embarked on a fresh bout of public consultations regarding so-called “street crime” and how it can be minimised. Public consultation is a useful exercise and can encourage local communities to take greater responsibility for their own affairs. But it should not be abused.