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MORE GARDAÍ WILL be seen on Galway City’s streets from today as the force launches a permanent high visibility policing plan.

Gardaí from Galway garda station and Salthill/Bóthar na Trá garda station will be deployed daily on high visibility beats at seven dedicated patrol areas.

From 8am to 4am daily, up to 13 gardaí will be deployed specifically for these areas.

An Garda Síochána said these areas have been identified following an analysis of calls for service, crime trends and feedback from the community and businesses.

A spokesperson said the high visibility patrols in Galway City Centre and Salthill will “increase focus on a robust approach to policing public order offences, anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, aggressive begging and shoplifting”.

The spokesperson added there will be a “pro-arrest policy for recidivist offenders, including strong bail objections, where appropriate”.

“Gardaí want to ensure that Galway City and Salthill continue to be a safe place to live, visit, socialise and conduct business,” said a spokesperson.

The introduction of these high visibility patrols follows the allocation of 28 new gardaí to the Galway Division through consequential transfers and allocation of probationer gardaí.

Gardaí have added that “considerable numbers of new members”, including 206 at the most recent attestation in July, have enabled the consequential transfers of gardaí with “operational experience who were stationed elsewhere”.

Community Policing gardaí will also deploy the garda community engagement van to locations around Galway City to support public engagement and offer crime prevention advice.

Assistant Commissioner Clíona Richardson of the Garda North Western Region said the additional garda presence will “strengthen our response to crime and anti-social behaviour and help ensure that Galway remains a safe and welcoming place to live, work, visit and socialise”.

Meanwhile, acting chief superintendent of Galway Garda Division, Damien Flanagan, said the scheme will “make a real difference on the ground”.

He said the plan has been “shaped by a clear understanding of the issues affecting the city and by listening to the concerns of the local community and business sector”.

High visibility patrols have been introduced into Dublin city centre and parts of suburban Dublin, Cork city, and Limerick city over the last year as part of an on-going initiative to increase garda visibility in cities and towns.

An Garda Síochána said this has been “shown to reduce key crimes in areas where they have been introduced”.

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