Cllrs fear changes to JPCs will affect local representation on law and order

Meath councillors are angry at the restructuring of the Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) which they warn could hamper the way public concerns about crime and policing are currently brought directly to senior gardai.

Now they have now warned government party senators who support the changes, that they will face the councillors’ ire at election time.

Currently, members of local authorities sit on JPCs, but new Safety Partnerships will replace these bodies. This is a result of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, which came into effect last February. The legislation is intended to implement many of the key recommendations of the Commission on the Future Policing in Ireland, which was published in 2018. The role that councillors will play on the new Safety Partnerships is not clear.

The role of the JPCs is expected to end during this year.

The councillors are concerned at the proposed restructuring, warning that it will take away guaranteed local elected representation on the new bodies.

Cllr Francis Deane, chairman of the Meath Joint Policing Committee said none of the councillors were happy.

“The JPCs are working well. They were set up by the local authority and councillors were able to bring the concerns of their constituents directly to them. The new partnerships will scrap all that,” he said.

“The new partnerships can elect a chairman that isn't a local representative.”

Cllr Nick Killian, who represents Meath on the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) has also hit out at the government plan to replace the JPCs this year with Community Safety Partnerships.

“They are trying to reduce the number of councillors involved in the partnerships and the chair will no longer have to be a councillor.

“This is another attempt by civil servants to take away power from the councillors. There is a lot anger among the councillors and our message to senators from the government parties is that they need to listed to what AILG and the councillors are saying.

“The JPCs are working well. They are very successful in Meath. Fair play to chairman, Francis Deane, for the work he has done. There are subcommittees and good interaction on anti-social behaviour and preventing road deaths.

“Senior Garda management worked well with the councillors. Many of the issues raised by the councillors were brought to us by the public and that will be taken from us.”

Meanwhile, Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell last week called on the Department of Justice to address issues with the new Safety Partnerships before they are introduced across the country.

“I co-signed amendments that would ensure the chairperson and co-chairperson of the new Safety Partnership would be a councillor, but the government rejected it. I co-signed a motion which stated that local authority members must be protected when new Safety Partnerships replace the Joint Policing Committees, but the government did not oppose this motion.

Fianna Fáil then proposed amendments that were very similar to the ones supported by me and then did not vote for them,” he said.