Teenage boy charged in connection with assault on American tourist

A teenage boy has been charged in connection with an assault on Stephen Termini, an American tourist on Talbot Street, in Dublin city centre on Wednesday night. The male juvenile appeared before a special sitting of the Children’s Court, which was already held at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Termini (57), from Buffalo, New York, had been staying at a guest house on Talbot Street and is understood to have just left his accommodation at 10.40pm when an attack by a gang of youths took place on nearby Store Street.

Emergency services were called, and he was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he remains in intensive care.

A son of Mr Termini, Mike Rizzuto, has said his father had visited Ireland on several occasions and was planning to move to the country permanently.

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Gardaí are continuing their appeal for anyone with information or who may have video footage to contact Store Street Garda station on 01 666 8000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the number of gardaí working in stations in Dublin’s north inner city has decreased by almost 4 per cent since the start of the year, according to the latest staffing figures for An Garda Síochána.

Updated details on staffing levels across the country’s 564 Garda stations show the number of gardaí attached to the Dublin North Central division – which covers stations including Store Street, Bridewell and Mountjoy – has fallen by 3.8 per cent since the start of 2023.

It is the largest percentage drop in numbers of frontline gardaí in any Garda division nationwide over the past six months.

All but one of the country’s 27 Garda divisions has experienced a reduction in frontline gardaí since January.

The latest figures show the Dublin North Central division, which has one of the highest crime rates in the country, had 615 gardaí last month – 24 fewer than at the start of the year.

Garda staffing levels in Dublin city centre are expected to be raised with the assistant Garda Commissioner with responsibility for policing in Dublin, Angela Willis, at a meeting of Dublin City Council’s Joint Policing Committee on Monday.

While the Government had a target of increasing the size of the force to 15,000 together with 4,000 civilian staff by 2021, the latest figures show the total number of gardaí at the end of June was 13,892 – 241 fewer than at the start of the year.

When officers who are on career breaks, work-sharing, secondments and maternity and parental leave are excluded, the total number of available gardaí falls to 13,658.

Meanwhile, civilian staff numbers have remained effectively unchanged over the past six months at 3,127.

The latest figures show the overall number of frontline gardaí has dropped to 12,009 since the end of December – a decrease of 264 or 2.2per cent nationally.

Other Garda divisions to record sizeable reductions in staffing levels besides Dublin North Central include Louth (down 3.7 per cent); Westmeath, Dublin East and Dublin South (all down 3.5 per cent); Tipperary (down 3.1 per cent) and Kildare (down 3.0 per cent).

The number of gardaí attached to the station in Leixlip, Co Kildare has fallen by 20 since the start of the year to 65 – the largest reduction in any station countrywide.

However, other stations in Kildare including Celbridge, Maynooth and Kilcock have been given additional gardaí at the same time.

Other stations with large reductions in garda numbers so far this year include Donnybrook (down 13 to 94) and Drogheda (down 10 to 127).

The only one of 27 Garda divisions to record an increase in staff since the start of the year is Cavan/Monaghan where numbers are up by three to 380.

In Dublin, the only station to record a significant increase in frontline staff was Kevin Street in the south inner city where numbers are up 13 to 173.

Meanwhile, the latest figures show 12 small rural stations have lost their permanent garda in the past 18 months including five since the start of 2023.

A Garda spokesperson said the Covid-19 pandemic affected its training and recruitment plans due to the closure of the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary. The spokesperson pointed out that 150 gardaí had retired so far in 2023 up to the end of May together with 59 others who resigned from the force.

Gardaí said 370 recruits are currently undergoing training with 222 due to be attested as sworn members next week with a further intake of recruits due to commence training in the Garda College in August..

The spokesperson also pointed out that gardaí can transfer between stations at the discretion of local Garda management based on factors such as crime trends, operational strategies and the policing needs of individual areas which are kept “under constant review.”