The strength of An Garda Síochána is at its highest level ever and crime figures have dropped by 25 per cent under the current Government, the Minister for Justice said today.
Mr John O’Donoghue said there were now 11,700 members of the force, and this figure will rise to 12,000 by the end of 2002.
He was speaking in response to a survey carried out in the Dublin South constituency by Fine Gael’s spokesman on justice Mr Alan Shatter, which found 99 per cent support for an increased Garda presence on the beat.
Ninety-seven per cent of the 246 residents who replied to Mr Shatter’s May survey said they felt Dublin city centre was not safe to walk in at night. A total of 61 per cent said they felt unsafe in their own neighbourhood.
Mr Shatter said 99 per cent of parents were worried for the safety of their teenaged children, and 78 per cent were concerned about drugs.
"Deputy Shatter and his colleagues may well be surprised at the fact that people want to see more gardaí on the beat," the Minister said.
"This simply demonstrates how out of touch they are with the concerns of ordinary people. It is clear the government realised people’s concerns long ago and that is why the Garda Síochána is being expanded to unprecedented levels."
"I will not surrender the country to the criminal classes," he added.
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