Abolition of Joint Policing Committee condemned at final meeting

Plans to create a new format for a community forum to replace the Joint Policing Committees was strongly condemned by the Chairman of the Tipperary committee at their final meeting on Friday.

The impending replacement of Tipperary’s Joint Policing Committee with a new body with less elected representatives was criticised by Councillor Noel Coonan (FG) during his final meeting at the helm. Cllr. Coonan is retiring from politics at the conclusion of the current Council's term.

The plans will see the current system replaced by larger bodies made up of less elected representatives and instead draw from a larger pool of people across the community. These new groups will be called Local Community Safety Partnerships and are already up and running in Dublin north inner city, Waterford and Longford and aim to identify and tackle community safety issues.

The new bodies comprise representatives of residents and community groups, business and education groups and statutory services such as An Garda Síochána, Tusla, HSE, the local authority and public representatives.

“Serious concerns have been raised by councillors over the new proposals and really it is an attack on local government. We should defend local democracy staunchly - but instead what we're seeing is more and more powers be taken away from county councillors, who are elected people and have to face the public every five years”, he said.

“There is widespread concern across the county. Councillors have great communication with the Gardaí. It isn't a great move forward to end a system which is successful and works”, the Chairman said.