Joint Policing Committee Minutes

Minutes of Meeting of The County Sligo Joint Policing Committee held on Friday 11th December 2020 at 10.30 a.m. in The Council Chamber, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo & Via Sligo County Council’s Virtual Meeting Room


IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Aidan Glacken, Chief Superintendent, An Garda Síochána (Present in Chamber)
  • Pauric Burke, Superintendent, An Garda Síochána (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Tom Kilfeather, Deputy Chief Executive, Sligo County Council (Present in Chamber)
  • John Moran, A/Director of Services, Sligo County Council (Present in Chamber)
  • Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady (Chair) (Present in Chamber)
  • Councillor Marie Casserly (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Councillor Martin Connolly (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Councillor Tom Fox (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Councillor Sinéad Maguire (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Councillor Gerard Mullaney (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Councillor Dara Mulvey (via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Marian Harkin T.D. (via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Vanessa Clarke, Sligo PPN (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Gail McGibbon, Sligo PPN (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Pat Walsh, CEO, Komeer (Via Virtual Meeting Room)
  • Clodagh Quinn, Staff Officer, Sligo County Council (Present in Chamber)

 

APOLOGIES:

  • Ciarán Hayes, Chief Executive, Sligo County Council
  • Margaret McConnell, Senior Executive Officer, Sligo County Council

 

CHAIRPERSON:

The Chairperson, Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady, presided and welcomed all committee members to the meeting.

 

1.  TO NOTE MINUTES OF MEETING OF COUNTY SLIGO JPC HELD ON 25TH SEPTEMBER 2020:

Proposed by Councillor Tom Fox
Seconded by Councillor Dara Mulvey

AND AGREED

“To note minutes of meeting of County Sligo JPC held on 25th September 2020”.

 

2.  MATTERS ARISING:

There were no matters arising.

 

3.  PRESENTATION ON KOMEER APP:

Mr. Pat Walsh, CEO, began by explaining the concept of the Komeer app to members describing it as a powerful and flexible communications and payments platform which can be customised to simplify and automate key citizen engagement tasks. He went on to advise that alerts can be sent to specific groups or households within a particular radius regarding various activities such as road closures, local events, crime prevention measures etc. Such alerts can be transmitted via email, web application or SMS text message and are not solely dependent on smartphones for use.   

Mr. Walsh advised that the service has been rolled out in Co. Monaghan by Monaghan County Council and Co. Monaghan JPC with 1 in 5 adults using the customised service and over 2 million alerts sent. Positive results included savings in terms of costs and administration time while a reduction in crime figures was also highlighted.

Following queries and discussion, the Deputy Chief Executive, Mr. Tom Kilfeather, said that the potential of the service will be further explored by Sligo County Council.

The Chairperson, Councillor O’Grady, thanked Mr. Walsh for his presentation.

 

4.  JPC STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2022: UPDATE ON ACTIONS AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION:

Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken took members through the progress on actions as set out in the 6-year Strategic Plan. The main points highlighted were as follows:

  • The possibility of extending the Business Watch Scheme to Ballymote is being examined.
  • Regular resources are being deployed to harm reduction patrols including increased engagement with the elderly/vulnerable.
  • Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy to be launched in 2021.
  • Crime prevention, coastal and organised crime gang strategies have been put in place in addition to Operation Faoiseamh dealing with domestic violence.
  • Virtual Cyber Crime Programme ongoing as part of the Schools Programme.
  • Cross-border liaison meetings regarding Brexit are ongoing.
  • “Operation Enable” launched in Co. Sligo in December 2020 examining the enforcement of legislation in relation to parking in disabled parking areas and loading bays.

He followed up by circulating a breakdown of all crime incidents in Sligo and Ballymote Districts comparing figures for 2019 with the current year.  Notable decreases were seen in the areas of burglaries and assaults while the number of sexual offences reported had increased dramatically. Chief Superintendent Glacken advised that the number of drug detections had significantly increased also as a result of the operation launched into organised crime but warned that the number of drug driving cases is increasing with 33 no. recorded in 2020 to date in comparison with 17 no. from 2017 to 2019 inclusive. Despite An Garda Síochána having additional equipment to deal with the increasing problem, the Chief Superintendent acknowledged that it is an area for concern.   

A brief discussion on the crime statistics followed during which Chief Superintendent Glacken outlined reasons for the increase in the number of sexual offences reported and advised of the establishment of a Protective Services Unit and the launching of an information pack for victims of domestic violence.

In relation to the proposed amendments to the Strategic Plan put forward for consideration by Sligo BID, Ms. Gail McGibbon outlined Sligo BID’s involvement in the Purple Flag initiative and their ongoing work with Sligo County Council and An Garda Síochána. It was agreed by members that the Strategic Plan be amended to include the proposals which had been circulated to the committee in advance of the meeting.

 

5.  NOTICES RECEIVED:

  1. Item submitted by Councillor Marie Casserly:
    “To request an update on the Divisional Protective Services Unit, Sligo Leitrim Division”.

    Per Item No. 4 above, Chief Superintendent Glacken confirmed that a Protective Services Unit has been established within the Sligo-Leitrim Division comprising 6 no. staff. The Unit will work alongside DVAS and Sligo Volunteer Centre and will be included in the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy to be launched in 2021.
  2.  Item submitted by Councillor Marie Casserly:
    “Station accommodation and the building of a new station has been a work item agenda of the JPC Strategic Plan. In 2019, we were delighted to learn of the purchase of a site by the OPW for this new station at Caltragh at a cost of €1.3m. Statements made thereafter by the Minister for Justice up to December 2019 confirmed the commitments and funding for a new Garda station build in Sligo. This was communicated to this committee. In April/May 2020, a U-turn on this project was announced by the Minister for Justice stating that the promised build was not going ahead. A delegation of Council members met Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Joseph Nugent from An Garda Síochána in September in this Council Chamber at our request and numerous questions were posed to him about the decision and future plans. Answers were promised and months have passed without these being provided. I propose, because the station was one of our stated objectives, that the JPC formally request to be provided with the answers posed from Minister McEntee and Commissioner Harris and to receive an update on same”.

    Before leaving the meeting, Councillor Marie Casserly briefly stated that she was unhappy with the reply which had been subsequently received from Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Joseph Nugent, dated 7th December 2020 and which had been circulated to committee members in advance of the meeting.
  3. Item submitted by Councillor Marie Casserly:
    “To seek an update on the Armed Response Unit in Sligo and to ask if it will remain in Sligo permanently?”

    As Councillor Casserly had left the meeting at his point, this Item was not addressed.

 

6.  CORRESPONDENCE:

The copy of email received from the Office of the Garda Commissioner dated 14th October 2020 was noted.

 

7.  SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS IN 2021:

The dates proposed below were agreed by members and will be forwarded to the Office of the Garda Commissioner should one of them be suitable for the Commissioner’s attendance:

  • Friday 26th March 2021
  • Friday 25th June 2021
  • Friday 24th September 2021
  • Friday 10th December 2021

 

8.  ANY OTHER BUSINESS:

  • Councillor Sinéad Maguire raised an issue regarding parking at Dorrin’s Strand and in particular cars being parked on a narrow road leading to the beach which caused traffic obstructions during the summer months. Councillor Maguire requested that provision be made for disabled parking at the location.  In reply, the Deputy Chief Executive, Mr. Tom Kilfeather, advised that the Roads Office should be contacted in the matter.
  • Councillor Tom Fox advised members that on foot of a proposal he put forward at the December Council Meeting, it is envisaged that bye-laws regarding the consumption of alcohol in public spaces (and the enforcement of same by the Gardaí) will come before the Council for formal adoption in 2021.

 

The Chairperson, Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady, thanked all members for their attendance and contributions and wished all a Happy Christmas.

 

The business of the meeting concluded at 12.00 p.m.

 


Meeting Date 11/12/2020