A WHITE PAPER ON CRIME

NOBODY IS safe in a society where drug gangs fight for control of
lucrative markets. And the recession is likely to contribute to an
increase in crime. But rather than respond in a knee-jerk fashion to
demands for an increase in Garda overtime, longer prison sentences
and more draconian legislation, we should concentrate on what can be
done with existing resources and on how the community can be
motivated to fight against crime. In that regard, active co-operation
by law-abiding citizens with An Garda Siochana is one of the most
important elements in crime prevention and detection.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern launched a two-year consultation
process last week that will result in the first White Paper on crime.
It is an important development and will seek the views of a wide
range of interested and professional parties. After a decade of
legislative reform and extensive investment in the criminal justice
system, the White Paper will consider whether new and better ways may
be available to tackle crime-related challenges. Given the breadth of
the review, the work should be thorough. But two years of discussion
does not reflect the urgency of the situation. It should not delay a
Government undertaking to legalise wire-taps in the prosecution of criminals.

There has been a 25 per cent increase in drugs-related offences
during the past year. And recent days have seen a spiral of gangland
killings on the streets of Dublin. In spite of that, it is important
to maintain perspective. There have been considerable Garda
successes. Large quantities of drugs have been seized. Gang members
have been jailed. Intensive surveillance has led to the disruption of
criminal activity. And public involvement has led to the arrest of
would-be assassins.

That last development shows what can be achieved when concerned
citizens alert the Garda about suspicious activity. That is the crux
of the issue. Too often, local people are terrified by gang members
and, on occasion, are forced to hide guns and drugs for them. If
they can be persuaded that supplying information to the Garda will
remove such threats, a great advance will have been made. Intensive
surveillance will be needed in those areas, including foot patrols,
as a normalisation process. Long-term success will be based on better
police intelligence.

Those living in leafy suburbs also have obligations. This is where
recreational drug-users, small-time pushers and the professionals who
launder the illegal profits of gangland criminals live. It is, in
effect, the heart of the problem. For so long as these individuals
are allowed free rein, the drug gangs will flourish and death will
stalk our streets.

If we are serious about enforcing the law and tackling the illegal
drugs trade, we cannot close our eyes to the contributions made by
white-collar criminals. Locking up minor offenders would fill the
prisons. A system of restorative justice would be a better
alternative. But others should be jailed. It will take a deliberate
shift in approach to alter ambivalent attitudes that have emerged in
recent years.