An Garda Síochána is committed to working within communities to address the root causes of crime in order to deliver excellent policing across the State. Engaging with these communities offers the organisation a chance to promote public confidence in the work of the service and I am certain that this approach will yield strong crime prevention results in the future.

The presence of drugs in our communities continues to pose major challenges for society as a whole, and indeed for An Garda Síochána. The sustained and co-ordinated focus which has been a feature of the fight against drugs has yielded significant seizures and arrests by local and national units during 2008. In 2009, we will maintain our commitment against the supply reduction side, with a constant emphasis on protecting the young and vulnerable, as well as the public as a whole, from the effects of this reprehensible activity which leaves nothing but damage and devastation in its wake.

This report highlights the work of Gardaí in their communities, as they fight against serious crime, work to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, address the causes of anti-social behaviour and implement other initiatives which assist in building lasting and relevant connections with the people they serve.