South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum

Community Safety Profile

Introduction
A Community Safety Project has been operating in South West Clondalkin since 2002 and the first Forum meeting took place in 2004. Initially funded through the Department of Environment it employed a full-time Community Safety Forum Worker until 2013 who focused on supporting residents and local groups to actively participate in the Forum and any of its activities. The Forum has a Planning Group which meets the week before a full Forum Meeting. At this meeting they discuss relevant Community Safety issues and set the Agenda for the full Forum meeting the following week. The emphasis is on ensuring that there are good responses from the Community Policing team, the Local Authority and any other relevant agencies to issues that they have put on the Agenda. A discontinuation of funding resulted in the loss of the full-time post. New funding now allows for a part-time Community Safety Worker and this funding comes through the Drug Programmes Unit of the Department of Health and Children. This position is secure until December 31st 2013. The purpose of this Community Profile is to provide some context in which the task of reducing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour can be understood. This is not intended as a comprehensive profile, only one that highlights those areas most relevant and appropriate to the task of doing Community Safety through the local Forum. It is hoped that this will enable those Members of the Forum to support their actions and activities with reference to information that is in the public domain and considered useful. South West Clondalkin The area covered by the South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum is part of the wider suburban area of Clondalkin, Dublin, Ireland. It has a population of approx 11 000 residents and is just under 10km from Dublin City Centre as the crow flies. It lies outside the M50 arterial ring road and is served by several public transport links. The 151 and 13 Dublin Bus routes and the Clondalkin & Fonthill Commuter Rail Service link the area to Dublin City Centre and outlying regions. The rail service link does not go directly to Clondalkin but is less than 1000 metres from the Bawnogue area that the Community Safety Forum covers.

Google Map Image: Clondalkin in relation to Dublin City Centre

South West Clondalkin is an area of mixed housing provision and ownership, with some areas being settled over 50 years ago and other areas only built within the last 12 years. The area is largely sub-urban with extensive areas of green space, bounded by the regenerated Grand Canal on its Northern perimeter, the R134 on its Southern perimeter and R136 on its Western. There is limited commercial and retail activity which is centred on 2 key areas, the Action Enterprise Centre and the Bawnogue Road Shopping Centre. There are a number of small convenience shops at different parts of the area and one Public House. The area is very close in proximity to a number of large Business Parks which have been located on Dublins South Western fringe. The bulk of the economically active working population commutes out of the area for work1 In the centre of South West Clondalkin stand the remains of a Church and graveyard dedicated to St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne in the 16 th Century. The site is Grade 2 Listed but is in an extensive state of disrepair. The site is almost entirely overgrown by trees and vegetation and despite occupying a prominent position within an expansive green space passersby would probably not be aware of it unless specifically pointed out to them. It has become a focal point for anti-social behaviour and despite being an obvious asset for the community this is not being currently realised. Ownership of the site is with South Dublin County Council and an exploration of ways to clean, secure and maintain the building as a valuable community asset was carried out in 2006, although nothing of significance developed from this.

http://cso.ie

Aerial Photos: St Cuthberts / South West Clondalkin

A.

Statistical Data

Central Statistics Office A number of statistical data sets are available to the public and Forum Members that may be useful in addressing crime and anti-social behaviour. The following have been selected and highlighted based on their presumed relevance and usefulness to the Forum Members. 10 Year Crime Trends Table 1 shows the trends in recorded offences from Jan 2003 Mar 2013 for the area covered by Clondalkin Garda Station. This includes areas outside of the South West Clondalkin Community Forums catchment area but provides some indication of the levels and types of crime for the overall area. The information gives a broad overview of the primary patterns in crime and the areas most prevalent crime types overall.

Table 1: Recorded Offences at Clondalkin Garda Station Jan 2003 Mar 2013 (source CSO) 4

The information provided in Table 1 identifies some of the significant offences for the area. Unfortunately there are no comparisons with either City or State averages to enable us to draw some conclusions about the nature of specific crimes in the Clondalkin area. National and local statistics can be viewed on the CSO website 2 and some assessment made on averages, but this would require significant time and resources to achieve. However it does allow us to identify which crimes are the most prevalent over time and identify their consistency. Theft and Related Offences, Damage to Property and the Environment, Public Order and Social Code Offences have all been consistently the most common criminal offences over a 10 year period in the Clondalkin area. There was a steady increase in these types of recorded offences from 2005 and while there has been some reduction at times up to Mar 2013 all of the offences are higher than they were at the start of the recording period. We can also see from Table 1 that a significant number of criminal offences were starting to decline from June 2010, which may reflect a specific local focus on certain activities (Garda operations), a reduction in the number of offences being committed/reported or some other unknown factor. The two criminal activities that significantly increased from June 2011 are Fraud, Deception and related offences and Theft and related Offences. The nature of these offences may indicate the impact the economic downturn has had as these kinds of activities are more utilitarian in nature. However, without some more detailed analysis this can only be seen as speculation at this point. There is also no category that identifies online crime and current International research 3 indicates that this is being significantly under reported. The nature of the most common criminal offences and activities is typical of what is known nationally and internationally within the Community Safety field. Most communities do not experience high levels of serious crime but do experience high levels of less serious crime that impact severely on the Quality of Life (QoL) 4 for individuals within communities. The crime patterns around Clondalkin appear to reflect that general trend. It is also worth noting that the realities around crime for particular areas are quite severely impacted by negative press coverage and general media representation. This is particularly evident in relation to drug and gang related activities and is a common feature of the Irish medias response that sensationalises these activities and the people involved. The consequence of this when attributed to particular areas is to give the impression that whole communities are blighted by serious crime when the statistical evidence often paints a very different reality. This is not to detract from the impact that serious crime has on communities and individuals but it is intended to ensure that a note of caution is struck when thinking about the overall impacts. The information in Table 1 does serve to provide us with an indicative statistical baseline from which we can work to address some of the issues that the Community Safety approach might address. It also acts to remind us that we often need to start somewhere when we are addressing an issue or problem and that having some idea of its extent can be very helpful. The challenge at a local level is to start examining these offences in a way that makes them more relevant to the local for example, how can we begin to extract information that tells us something about Public Order offences or Theft in South West Clondalkin? How can we build a more precise picture of the experience of this Community when set against the backdrop of the overall area? Thinking about these challenges and how we can respond to them will help
2 3

http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/crimeandjustice/ http://www.ewi.info/statistics-and-cyber-crime-epidemic 4 http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Fear%20of%20Crime%20in%20Ireland.pdf/Files/Fear%20of%20Crime %20in%20Ireland.pdf

us to devise a focused Community Safety strategy and response. The role of the Community Gardai and local resident information will be a great source of support around this challenge.

Deprivation Statistics The link between crime and deprivation has been extensively researched 56 and can often be a helpful way in raising awareness of the Social factors that can contribute to crime and antisocial behaviour in an area. This may be easier to identify with very specific types of offences such as burglaries, theft or fraud, along with those who may be at greatest risk of committing crimes. However it should be noted that the primary purpose of information relating to deprivation in this Community Profile is to highlight the link between deprivation and those who are the victims of crime. Research indicates that the most vulnerable and marginalised within communities are the most likely to be a victim of crime and that the risk of repeat victimisation increases exponentially once a crime has been experienced. In Ireland the Central Statistics Office uses the information from the National Census to plot specific areas on a Deprivation Index. This Index uses a number of relevant Indices (categories) of statistics and when combined with a particular formula produces a number which indicates the level of deprivation for that area. The Index runs from +30 (most advantaged) to -30 (most disadvantaged) and is accessible in map format at www.cso.ie and number of other websites. The information is useful when looking at the levels of disadvantage for very specific areas and can be viewed at 2 levels. One is the ED (Electoral District) Level and the other is and the Small Area Level. The ED gives a measure of the overall area being looked at and for the South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum this is Clondalkin-Dunawley ED and VillageClondalkin ED. Dunawley ED is then broken down into a further 38 Small Areas and 9 of the Village Small Areas are also covered by the South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum. The image below demonstrates this for parts of both EDs. The Blue boundaries indicate where the Small Areas are within the larger ED.

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDQQFjAA&url=http %3A%2F%2Fwww.iprt.ie%2Ffiles%2Fp_omahony_social_deprivation_and_crime.doc&ei=0C4bUqiZLTm7Aap9YHYAQ&usg=AFQjCNGOEsA3i7PyOzRerHqJTtH12UFVOw&sig2=Nt6pxkrJxSs5Pa1Axhupfw&bv m=bv.51156542,d.ZGU&cad=rja 6 http://www.iprt.ie/files/Position_Paper_FINAL.pdf

CSO Small Mapping Tool: Clondalkin-Dunawley ED

The benefit of exploring areas in the Small Maps view is that it provides a more precise picture of the levels of Disadvantage. In many cases this can highlight where there are pockets of disadvantage and may help in identifying what can be done to alleviate this, whos most likely to be experiencing it and what the impacts are within a Community Safety context. Currently there are no crime related information sets from the Census that would be helpful when using a mapping tool such as this. All the crime related information has been presented in the previous section and relates to Garda Station Recorded Offences. Through the ED and Small Area analysis we are able to identify some key findings from the 2011 Census about disadvantage in the area the South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum is covering. These are bullet pointed below and are based primarily on the larger Dunawley ED: The population of the area covered is 11 000+ with the population for Dunalwey ED alone at 10 877. With the additional Village ED population this is likely to be just over 11 000. The overall population has remained relatively static since 2006 with a slight increase of less than 0.5%. Overall the ED of Dunawley has been identified as Mostly Below Average and Village ED Mostly Above Average. Dunawley improved marginally on the Index from 2006 (-10.2) to 2011 (-9.9). The unemployment rate for economically active males was 34.8% and 26.8% for females. These are significant increases on the 2006 levels (17.4% and 16.9% respectively). Lone Parents accounted for 42.1% of the adult parenting population and there is an Age Dependency Ratio of 30.4%. 24.9% of housing is Local Authority and 14.1% have Third Level Education.

In Dunawley the following Small Areas are classified as Very Disadvantaged, Disadvantaged or Marginally Above Average. Very Disadvantaged Lindisfarne Estate South East 7

Deansrath Estate South Michael Collins Dunawley Lindisfarne Est NE Lindisfarne Est NW/Melrose Estate N Lindisfarne Est SW/Melrose Est South Lealand Estate SE Lealand Est SW Oldchurch Est East Oldchurch Est West Deansrath Estate North Oldcastle Park Kilmahudrick Est North Kilmahudrick Estate Central Kilmahudrick Est E Kilcronan Est South Kilcronan Est North St Patricks North & Oakwood West St Patricks South and Oakwood East Alpine Heights South Alpine Heights North Ashwood Estate East Ashwood Estate West Lealand Estate North Mill Court Westbourne Estate North Westbourne Estate South Westbourne Estate East Castlegrange Estate East Castlegrange Estate West Oldcastle North Grange View Estate Kilmahudrick Estate South Kilcronan Estate West

Disadvantaged

Marginally Above Average

Some of the key pieces of information from analysis of the Small Area Maps are listed below. 1. Small Areas just below/above Very Disadvantaged and where there has been NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE from 20006-11 Census: Lindisfarne Estate NW/Melrose Estate N Lindisfarne Estate SE Lindisfarne Estate SW/Melrose Estate S Deansrath Estate N Deansrath Estate South -17.4 -20.2 -18.9 -18.9 -20.1

2. Small Areas where there has been a SIGNIFICANT INCREASE in deprivation from 2006-2011 Census: St Patricks North & Oakwood West St Patricks South & Oakwood East Dunawley Estate Millpark North Ashwood Estate West -1.5 > -6.7 2.6 > -6.9 -10.5 > -14.6 8.8 > 2.3 1.2 > -5.4 8

Lindisfarne Estate SE Rath Gael

-15.2 > -20.2 15 > -1.1

3. Small Areas where there has been a SIGNIFICANT DECREASE in deprivation from 2006-2011 Census: Lindisfarne Estate NE Mill Court Westbourne Est South Oldcastle North Grangeview Estate Kilmahudrick Estate Central Kilcronan Estate South Kilcronan Estate West -21.3 > -14.8 -6 > -1.1 -8.3 > -1.5 -13.1 > -7.7 -6.4 > -2.8 -19.3 > -15.9 -24.4 > -15.3 -11.5 > -6.7

As with the ED level information at the Small Area it is possible to find information relating to Age Dependency, Lone Parents, Primary Education, Third Level Education, Unemployment Rates and Local Authority Housing. While these are not all the types of categories recorded all of these specific indices are correlated to provide the overall level of disadvantage. We can see from the CSO Small Maps tool for example, that the Very Disadvantaged areas of Lindisfarne Estate South East and Deansrath Estate South have Age Dependency rates of 28.4% and 31.3% respectively. The Dublin County average is 21%. This suggests that these areas may have either significant populations of parents with young children or older dependent people, or a combination of both. This can help the Community Safety Forum in a range of ways, from thinking about victimisation risk (particularly among the most marginalised and socially excluded groups), engaging local residents in activities and possibly identifying crime types for the area, along with other possibilities. The key potential of the Deprivation Index is the role it might play in identifying those most likely to engage in particular types of criminal or anti-social behaviour based on their marginalisation from society due to poverty. It can also help to make the link between why some areas and the people within them experience disproportionately higher levels of crime and anti-social behaviour. While this is not an exact science, when combined with a range of other information packets we can start to have a greater awareness of what people and places are experiencing and how we might collectively respond to that. Addressing the causes of crime within the Social context is as important to the Community Safety approach as dealing with the Situational context. For a more detailed explanation of this see Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies by Rutger University Press. 7

B. Community Policing in South West Clondalkin

The Garda Siochana in partnership with the Local Authority is one of the main state agencies with responsibility for developing Local Policing Forums and Joint Policing Committees. This was outlined as in the Garda Siochana Act (2005) and there are a number of resources online that provide detailed background to their creation, the rationale behind them and the way in which they operate.

http://www.popcenter.org/library/reading/PDFs/scp2_intro.pdf

Community Policing as an approach to responding to crime and anti-social behaviour within communities across Ireland was introduced in 1987 and was initiated as a proactive, solution based and community driven form of policing. The emphasis is on developing inter-agency relationships which aim to: Prevent crime Prevent anti-social behaviour Reduce the fear of crime Promote inter-agency problem solving Bring offenders to justice Improve the overall quality of life

Clearly this model of policing should complement the aims and activities of a Community Safety approach to reducing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour. In South West Clondalkin this has been happening for a number of years with the local Gardai and Community Policing Team attending Forum meetings and responding, where relevant to issues raised by Members. Currently the Community Policing Team consists of 3 dedicated Gardai who have specific areas within the South West Clondalkin area for which they have responsibility. These are: Garda Neal Canny (Mill Pond, Cherrywood, Kilcarberry, Old Church, Mill Court, Mill Park, Rathgael Apartments, Westbourne and Lealand) Garda David Harte (St Patricks, Michael Collins, Dunawley, Oakwood Grove, Ashwood, Alpine Heights, Lindisfanre, Melrose and Deansrath) Garda Brendan Crawford (Kilmahuddrick, Castlegrange, Grange View, Old Castle Park, Kilcronan)

Community Policing for the area is overseen by Sgt Stephen Lydon and all can be contacted through Clondalkin Garda Station, Tower Road, Dublin 22 (Tel: 01 6667600). There is extensive information about the Community Policing Model online 8. The existence of a Community Policing approach to addressing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour is significant for the actions and activities of the Community Safety Forum. Community Safety is best described as the collective actions of individuals, groups, organisations and communities in reducing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour9 and it is clear that the Community Policing Team are a vital part of that collective response. A continuing role within the Community Safety Forum in South West Clondalkin underlines the Police commitment. It also provides a direct link and a relationship which can support residents to be significantly more pro-active around the issues most of concern to them. The Community Police presence on the Forum can also provide more detailed information about crime and its levels which may not be evident in the wider station statistics. For example, statistics may show that Burglaries are on the increase at a Station area level but its only with the detailed knowledge of Community Police that Forum Members will know
8

http://www.garda.ie/Documents/User/national%20model%20of%20community%20policing%20%20jan%2026th%202009.pdf 9 http://southwestclondalkincommunitysafetyforum.wordpress.com/community-safety/

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whether this is relevant to their area or not. This support can be invaluable in developing a coherent Community Safety strategy or tackling specific Community Safety issues in the area. There are also a number of tools that Community Policing Teams have been trained in which can provide practical ways for residents and agencies to address an issue. A more recent one was the adoption of the UK developed tool known as SARA (Scan, Analyse, Respond and Assess)10 which combines a Social and Situational approach to addressing a specific issue(s). The practical uses of this tool are extensive and with the right support and resources it can prove very effective as a system for understanding the nature of a crime related problem (Problem Oriented Policing, POP) 11 in an area. There may be further opportunities to use this to support the Forum and its activities.

C.

South Dublin County Council

The Local Authority is the other key pillar alongside the Gardai who have a significant role in addressing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour in communities. South Dublin County Councils staff have been Members of the Community Safety Forum for many years and like other agencies are tasked with responding to issues of concern raised by local residents and organisations. There are a number of key Departments and services within the Local Authority that have a direct relationship to the Forum, the main one being Estate Management. This sits within the wider Housing Section of the Local Authority and provides the following key supports: Give assistance and advice on estate improvements in Council estates Offer support to cleaning up your estate Pre-tenancy courses for prospective Council tenants Encourage the involvement of Resident Groups in the management of their estates Liaise on behalf of residents with the Council in relation to a large range of issues

The Estate Management Team also has an Allocations Support Unit and their aim is to create and sustain a safe and peaceful living environment for the community of South Dublin County Council by actively tackling anti-social behaviour through prevention, enforcement, support and rehabilitation. A detailed Anti-social Behaviour Strategy 2010-14 is available on their Website 12 and this provides the Community Safety Forum with clear indications of how the Local Authority intends to address issues of concern, often in partnership with other agencies and residents. Their Website further details a definition of anti-social behaviour and what you should do if you are a victim of it13 which can be very useful to Members of the Forum by being aware of the Local Authority response and sharing this with the wider community. There are a number of Estate Management Staff and for the South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum area this is Emma Daly, who can be contacted at 01 414900 or
10 11

http://www.popcenter.org/about/?p=sara http://www.popcenter.org/ 12 http://www.sdcc.ie/sites/default/files/guidelines/anti-social-strategy-2010-2014-approved-cllr-nov2010.doc 13 http://www.sdcc.ie/services/housing/estate-management

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edaly@sdublincoco.ie for advice and information. The Local Authority has also established a number of clinics for members of the public around anti-social behaviour in their communities and the Clondalkin clinic is held every Thursday 10am-11am in Clondalkin Civic Offices. This may be a particularly useful service for the Community Safety Forum to promote for residents in the local community. Tenancy Breaches All Local Authority Tenants are subject to contracts which regulate some of their behaviour while in Local Authority accommodation to ensure that people do not cause distress to other members of the household or their neighbours. Where breaches are suspected or reported the Local Authority will contact the Tenants directly and try to resolve the issues. In some extreme cases the Local Authority may be required to seek out police and/or legal action to address Tenant behaviour. Using the Local Authorities monitoring systems for Tenancy Breaches it may be possible to identify the level of breaches and the behaviour associated with them. This can be extremely helpful in understanding the impact that some people have on others in their communities and what actions are taken to reduce it. CCTV There are a number of CCTV installations operated by the Gardai in South West Clondalkin. One is situated on the Bawnogue Road and provides coverage across to the main shopping centre, the Church of the Transfiguration and the Enterprise Action Centre. There is a further CCTV installation on St Cuthberts Road which is providing coverage over St Cuthberts green space and the Grand Canal. It is not known who is operating the CCTV and whether they are active or passive. The Local Authority and Gardai may be able to provide the Forum with information in relation to this. What would be helpful within the context of Community Safety would be finding out what the impact of CCTV has had in reducing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour within the area. It would also be important to find out how many convictions have been secured for crimes or anti-social behaviour as a direct result of CCTV evidence. There are also a number of other Departments and Services that have or may have some role to play in the Community Safety approach. These are too numerous to detail but the following list provides some indication of what they are: Recycling and Waste Managing Household Waste Litter Management Waste Management Plan Bring Banks Waste Regulations Environmental Health Animal Control Report on Environmental Health Problems Air & Noise Pollution Hazardous Waste Housing Maintenance & Repairs Estate Management Reporting a Housing Issue

Planning Planning Applications Enforcement Development Plan Heritage & Conservation Local Area Plans Building Control Guidelines & Legislation Planning Policy & 12

Projects

Parks and Recreation Parks Leisure Facilities Arts Playing Pitches Reporting a Parks Issue

Roads and Traffic Parking School Wardens Cycle Tracks Byelaws Road Works Reporting a Road Issue

Community and Neighbourhood Neighbourhoods and Communities Community Centres Initiatives Funding & Support RAPID Deputations Emergency Contacts Social Inclusion Reporting a Community Issue Joint Policing Committees Schools From this list we can see just how extensive the range of Services and Facilities are that the Local Authority has responsibility for. It is important to know what these are and when or where they might relevant to the Community Safety approach. It is also helpful for all Forum Members to be aware of these different responsibilities to ensure that they are more effective in engaging with the Local Authority on areas of concern and promoting this information within the local community. Clondalkin Local Policing Forum When the Garda Siochana Act 200514 made specific provision for Local Policing Forums 15 to be established (primarily in areas where a Local Drug Task Force already existed) this was alongside Joint Policing Committees16. The proposed administrative arrangement was for Joint Policing Committees to provide a high-level strategic response to issues that might emerge through the area-based Local Policing Forums. These Policing Forums would meet on a regular basis and would be required to hold a number of Public Meetings. Membership of the Joint Policing Committee was as a senior Gardai, Local Authority Staff Member, Elected Political Representatives and elected Business/Community Representatives. In Clondalkin 2 Community Safety Partnerships were already established through the Actions of the Local Drugs Task Force prior to the establishment of the area-based Local Policing Forum.
14 15

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0020/ http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Local%20Policing%20Fora%20Guidelines%20-%20EN.pdf/Files/Local %20Policing%20Fora%20Guidelines%20-%20EN.pdf 16 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0020/sec0036.html

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After some negotiation with the Gardai and the Local Authority they agreed to recognise the existing South West Community Safety Forum as the legitimate structure addressing crime and anti-social behaviour within the community and work collaboratively with them as part of their national model for delivering Community Policing and developing Local Policing Forums and Joint Policing Committees. While this may have created an over bureaucratic response to Community Safety issues at a local level it has at least ensured that the residents have retained ownership and responsibility for their Forum. This has been an important part of the way in which the work has developed locally and how it will continue to do so in the future. There are still some challenges to ensure that there is effective community participation and representation at all of these structures and reviewing how this happens may prove useful for all agencies and residents involved. There are 2 Local Policing Forums covering parts of Clondalkin; one covering the area attached to Ronanstown Garda Station and the other covering the area attached to Clondalkin Garda Station. Andy Lane, RAPID Co-ordinator with the Local Authority leads on supporting the Local Policing Forum which is relevant to the South West Clondalkin Community Safety Forum. Meetings take place on a monthly basis, where possible. Current Members: Agency Garda Sochna South Dublin County Council Elected representative Clondalkin Drug Task Force SW Clondalkin Community Safety Forum SW Clondalkin Community Safety Forum Green Park Area Community Rep Kingswood Area Community Rep Woodford Area Community Rep Carers Association Minority Ethnic Community Rep Traveller Community Rep The Joint Policing Committee The Garda Sochna Act 2005 (Section 36) provides for the establishment of a Joint Policing Committee (JPC) in each local authority. The purpose of these committees is to provide a forum where a local authority and the senior Garda Officers responsible for policing that area can consult, discuss and make recommendations on matters of policing for the area. For further detailed information seethe following footnotes. 17 18 In South County Dublin the JPC meets quarterly. Meetings are not public and Membership is either as a Community Representative nominated by specific organisations or through a work related role E.g elected TDs, Councillors, etc. Local Authority employees are not members and are in attendance to support Members. Minutes of all JPC Meetings are publicly accessible. To date the current JPC Membership is: Representative Supt. Brendan Connolly Billy Coman Cllr Breeda Bonner Rosie McGlone Mark Donohue Joan Rafferty Helen Stapleton Dorene McCarthy Ray Verso Cathy White Ziad Salih Shane OCurry

Councillor Guss O Connell (IND)

17

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Joint_policing_committees

18

http://www.sdcc.ie/services/neighbourhoods-communities/joint-policing-committee . 14

Councillor Breeda Bonner (Lab) Mayor Cllr. Cathal King (SF) Councillor Paddy Cosgrave (LAB) Councillor Mire Devine (SF) Councillor Gino Kenny (PBPA) Councillor Matthew Mc Donagh (SF) Councillor John Hannon (FF) Councillor Pamela Kearns (Lab) Councillor William Lavelle (FG) Councillor Brian Lawlor (FG) Councillor Colm Brophy (FG) Councillor Emma Coburn (FG) Councillor John Lahart (FF) Councillor Eamonn Walsh (FF) Robert Dowds TD (Labour) Derek Keating TD (FG) Alex White TD (Labour) Sean Crowe TD (SF) Eamon Maloney TD (Labour) Chief Superintendent Brendan Mangan Chief Superintendent Declan Coburn Philomena Pool (County Manager) Billy Coman (Director of Housing and Community) Jim Lawlor Community Forum) Michael Noonan (Community Forum) Michelle Kearns (Community Platform)

D.

Community Services and Facilities

There are a number of Third Sector/Community and Voluntary organisations operating in the South West Clondalkin area relevant to Community Safety. Some of them, in particular voluntary Residents Groups/Associations have been engaging with and playing an active role within the Community Safety Forum for several years. Others may not be directly involved as a Member of the Forum but they may have been involved in specific activities in support of the Forum in addressing a Community Safety issue. The Community Safety model is one of working in partnership with the relevant and appropriate stakeholders within the community. Consequently there should be a strong emphasis on identifying who those stakeholders are, what makes them a stakeholder and what work can be undertaken to support them achieving their Goals while the Forum achieves its Goals. This model of working encourages the development of relationships, identifying shared concerns, using and increasing resources and improving the overall Quality of Life (QoL) for communities and the people who live there. The following is not a definitive list of agencies and organisations but those most relevant to a Community Safety approach to crime prevention and anti-social behaviour: Local Drugs Task Force Funded Projects Clondalkin TUS NUA 15

Cairdeas Cumas

Local Community Centres Bawnogue Youth and Community Centre St Ronans Community Centre

Youth Providers Clondalkin Youth Service SWIFT (Garda Youth Diversion Project) Clondalkin Equine Club

Family Services Deansrath Family Centre Clondalkin Carers Association

Residents Groups/Associations Other Clondalkin Travellers Development Group Over 55s group (supported by Bawnogue Womens Development Group) Oldchurch Environmental Group Cherrywood Upper Awareness Group Grangeview Residents Awareness Group Millcourt Residents Group Kilcronan Environmental Group Lindisfarne Environmental Group

E.

Conclusion

Any area that is trying to tackle crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour is faced with a number of significant challenges which make success all the more difficult. However, what is known from national and international research and case studies is that the impact and outcomes can be greatly increased where people, organisations and agencies work together. There are always difficulties in developing collaborative approaches to any task where the number of competing agendas, resources and desired outcomes can lead to poor planning, execution and results for all concerned. Despite this the evaluations of these approaches consistently highlight the issue of how people, organisations and agencies can work more effectively together to ensure what they are trying to achieve becomes a reality. 16

In South West Clondalkin the Community Safety Forum has been operating under this model for almost 10 years and it has seen its share of success and disappointment around a number of issues. This is due in no small part to the nature of the approach that has been developed, with residents occupying the central position in identifying the key issues, the additional agencies responding to them and always supported by the Forum Development Worker. This approach can work extremely effectively if a number of competing issues do not hinder or prevent this when the commitment to a partnership way of working appears to have been sustained. This is also particularly relevant to the resources which have been significantly reduced for 2013 in the form of funding for a Forum Support Worker. Despite this the Forum has continued to work together to address the ongoing issues around Community Safety. The challenge now will be to match these resources to the realities of what can and cant be done. A review and appropriate Planning would support this. South West Clondalkin continues to be faced with a number of issues that impact on the Quality of Life (QoL) for some of its residents and which the Community Safety Forum may be able to address and have an impact upon. This Profile evidences this while at the same time framing it within the context of a Community Safety approach. There are clearly a number of key agencies supporting the Forum, with the possibility of more becoming involved with the right support and encouragement. There are challenges in getting more detailed and up-todate information that supports developing base-lines for tackling specific types of crime and anti-social behaviour but the inclusion of relevant organisations and agencies on the Forum will help to address this. A survey of residents experiences of crime and anti-social behaviour would also prove useful in making a link between the fear of crime and the reality of crime in the area. This can have a significant impact on using the Community Safety model as it means the links between Actions and Activities can be clearly evidenced and supported. The profile is intended to ensure people are more familiar with the area that the Community Safety Forum is working in, some description of that area itself, the levels of disadvantage that do or do not exist, the types of offences that are more prevalent, how the Police work to respond to that, along with the Local Authority and Community/Voluntary Organisations who are also making some contribution to improving the Quality of Life for people living and working in the area. Using the Profile in a constructive way to support the Forum in developing Actions, Activities and Workplans for the future should be encouraged where relevant and appropriate. This Profile should always be viewed as in constant development, adding and subtracting when necessary so that it becomes a living breathing document which can be consistently utilised.

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