The final Joint Policing Committee meeting takes place in Waterford this evening.
The JPC is being replaced by the local Community Safety Partnership pilot.
The programme is being piloted in Waterford, Dublin's north inner city and Longford for the next two years ahead of a national rollout to all local authority areas.
Each Partnership will devise and oversee a Local Community Safety Plan, which will be informed by the community itself. According to the Department of Justice, the plans will detail how best the community wants to prevent crime and will reflect community priorities and local safety issues. The goal is to make communities safer for families, residents and businesses.
Membership of the Partnerships will include: residents; community reps (including youth, new communities and voluntary sector); business and education reps; relevant public services including HSE, Tusla, Gardaí and the local authority; and local councillors. Training will be provided to support the capacity of the Partnerships to work together, including individual training for residents to develop their understanding of their role and to build confidence in representing their community.
The chair of Solas Seán Aylward will oversee the scheme. Mr Aylward previously served as Chairman of the Organisational Review and Implementation Merger boards of Waterford City and County Councils, Under Treasurer (CEO) of the Kings Inns, Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality (2004 to 2011), and Director General of the Irish Prison Service. He holds an MSc Econ (Public Service Management) from TCD and BA (English & Economics) from UCD.
However, the Mayor of Waterford Damien Geoghegan has criticised the reduced role of local councillors on the committee:
"It's a retrograde step and a backward step to remove from the Chairmanship of such a committee to remove the public representative from that. The reality is we are elected by the public, we have a mandate, and yet again the role of the public representative is being undermined, and our role on that committee is now being diminished".
The Mayor of Waterford Damien Geoghegan says his remarks were not meant personally against Mr Aylward but that it was not acceptable that 'retired civil servants' be appointed to such a position.
The Department of Justice says as the pilots progress, they will be evaluated and any necessary changes made to ensure the Partnerships work as effectively as possible for the communities involved. The pilots will then inform the further development of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, which will facilitate the rollout of Local Community Safety Partnerships in every local authority area.
