An Garda Síochána Annual Policing Plan 2018 identifies the main policing concerns for 2018 as prioritised by An Garda Sióchána (AGS) and in support of the AGS Strategy Statement July 2016—2018.1,2 It considers priorities identified by the Minister of Justice and Equality and the Policing Authority along with the views of external stakeholders and the general public. It contains several ‘concrete measurable initiatives’ (p. 2) and will attempt to implement several recommendations from the Garda Inspectorate Report Changing policing in Ireland.3 As in previous plans, several areas have been highlighted by AGS in 2018: organisational development and capacity improvement; national and international security; confronting crime; roads policing; and community engagement and public safety.

Organisational development and capacity improvement

With the ongoing aim of renewing AGS culture and advancing the Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016—2021,4 AGS has prioritised the following areas: composition and structure of the Garda workforce; Garda resource deployment; supervision; improved data quality; cultural renewal; and enhanced governance.

National and international security

To ensure that Ireland is a safe and secure place to reside, work, visit and invest, AGS will continue to monitor domestic and international security by carrying out intelligence-led operations against terrorism, risk assessment, and operational preparation for major emergencies in conjunction with major emergency management partners. They will collaborate and build on relationships with other security partners, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and international agencies. AGS intends to fully participate in bilateral European and international security meetings and support associated security initiatives. Additionally, preparations and implementation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II) are ongoing. AGS also aims to develop a cybercrime and security strategy to increase the capacity to avert and act against cybercrime security incidents.

Confronting crime

AGS is committed to the prevention of crime along with advocating for the rights of victims exposed to crime. Initiatives put forward aim to help AGS achieve this outcome and include: implementing the EU Victims Directive; supporting victims of sexual crime and domestic violence as well as collaborating with other agencies to implement a national action plan. AGS plans to implement their National Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy nationally and will carry on targeting assaults, burglaries and robberies using a multiagency and intelligence-led approach.5 In addition, Operation Thor is to be refocused towards averting violent crime. Measures to prevent and investigate non-violent, financially motivated crime will include targeting fraud, corruption and bribery. Organised crime groups will be targeted using intelligence-led operations. Success will be appraised via submission of progress reports to the Policing Authority, higher controlled drugs detections and firearm seizures. In addition, it is hoped that the results of an evaluation of the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme will be available by the end of 2018.

Roads policing

Saving lives is viewed as essential to AGS. One area that can be focused on to achieve this is road safety by targeting key lifesaver offences, such as not wearing seatbelts, driving while on a mobile phone, speeding, and driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Divisional Roads Policing Units are to be established and the increase in personnel in this area is ongoing. Inappropriate road-user behaviour will be targeted via increased use of social media to communicate road safety messages. In addition, AGS will collaborate with other agencies, such as the Road Safety Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and road safety officers to reduce deaths and serious injuries.

Community engagement and public safety

An approach used by AGS that increases community engagement and public safety is community policing. Several initiatives are planned. For example, AGS will implement the first phase of a new integrated system – Segmentation, Targeting, Analysing, Responding, Tracking (START) and create a strategy to incorporate the Garda Reserve into community policing structures. It will draw on digital platforms to provide information on AGS and its ongoing operations. Offender management will be improved on by advancing and refining the current multiagency approach.

Key policing and security priorities 2018

Table 1 outlines a summary of AGS’s key policing and security priorities for 2018. Responsibility for actioning and reporting on the progress of each initiative of this plan has been assigned to an assistant commissioner or executive director who will then report to the Garda Commissioner and the Policing Authority once a month. The acting commissioner believes that this plan will ‘redouble efforts to deliver a policing and security service that the people of Ireland are proud of’ and he is ‘confident that AGS will deliver an excellent and continuously improving policing and security service for the people it serves’ (p. 2).1

2  An Garda Síochána (2016) An Garda Síochána strategy statement July 2016—2018. Dublin: An Garda Síochána. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27305/

3  Garda Síochána Inspectorate (2015) Changing policing in Ireland: delivering a visible, accessible and responsive service. Dublin: Garda Síochána Inspectorate. Available online at https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/29426/

4  An Garda Síochána (2015) An Garda Síochána modernisation and renewal programme 2016—2021. Dublin: An Garda Síochána. http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27306/

5  An Garda Síochána (2017) Crime prevention and reduction strategy: putting prevention first. Dublin: An Garda Sióchána. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27147/