Under Community Policing, a member of An Garda Síochána is given responsibility for policing a specific area. He or she works in uniform and makes every effort to meet and build up a constructive relationship with the people who live there. Community Policing has three specific aims:
- To provide the people in an area with their own Garda, someone with whom they can discuss everyday occurrences within that area and build up a strong and supportive personal relationship .
- To assist the residents of the area to prevent crime by supporting their efforts to promote Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert and other crime prevention initiatives.
- To work with other social agencies in the area to help curb crime and vandalism. Community policing now covers larger urban areas and many rural areas.
It should be noted that while these Gardaí are specifically assigned to community policing duties, all Gardaí have a role to play with regard to addressing community policing issues. Community policing is a fundamental policing philosophy that is not confined to a single unit.
Contact your local Garda Station to contact your Community Garda.