Johnny Connolly

9 results

Gardaí patrolling a quiet Henry Street in Dublin on Easter Sunday. Despite isolated incidents, public compliance with draconian Covid-19 legislation remains extremely high. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
How will Covid-19 affect our relationship with the Garda?

The Irish cholera outbreak of 1832 can teach us a lot about the current coronavirus pandemic. Like today, the crisis saw a desperate search for quick (...)

Young boys were being used by the older gang members to deal drugs on the streets as well as for storing drugs, burning out cars as a means of intimidating others and even forcing some families out of particular areas, one garda said. Photograph: David Sleator
Teenage boys and organised crime gangs: A complicated dynamic

The murder of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods will have come as little surprise to community activists and gardaí working with boys who have been suc(...)

Gardaí may be reluctant to knock on people’s doors because “they know there might be some comeback for those people” if they are seen to co-operate. Photograph Nick Bradshaw
Existence of policing ‘no-go areas’ denied by Garda

The assistant commissioner for Dublin has denied there are policing “no-go areas” in the capital following the publication of research stating crimina(...)

The report estimated there are around 650 individuals engaged in a loosely organised criminal network in the Dublin South Central Area comprising of career criminals, street dealers and children who provide supports. File photograph: iStock
Anti-social behaviour used by gangs to control parts of south Dublin - research

Criminal gangs deliberately engage in anti-social behaviour in parts of Dublin’s southside as a mechanism to maintain control over an area and facilit(...)

Dublin GAA player Michael Darragh Macauley: ‘It’s about a positive influence in kids’ lives and to highlight there are different paths you can go down.’ Photograph: John Ohle
Beating inner city Dublin’s criminal stigma with positive role models

Michael Darragh Macauley is no stranger to challenges, having won seven senior All-Ireland medals. But the 33 year old’s biggest battle may be in the (...)

The use of drones by criminals, the committee heard, has added to the fear felt by rural communities, who are often too fearful to confront suspects, or to report suspicions to the gardaí. File image: iStock
Drones being used by criminals to spy on farms and rural properties

Criminals are using drones to spy on on farms and rural properties before targeting them for burglaries, according to one of the country’s biggest com(...)

Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland chairwoman Kathleen O’Toole said common themes at meetings included demands for “more visibility, more boots on the ground, and more resources”. Photograph Nick Bradshaw
Public wants Garda reform to move forward, says policing commission chairwoman

The many controversies surrounding the Garda Síochána have not shaken the public’s belief in its essential role, according to the Commission on the F(...)

Gardaí at Avondale House, Cumberland Street, Dublin, after the fatal shooting of Gareth Hutch this week. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times
Use of ‘gangland’ terminology an admission of defeat

If society is to get to grips with the serious violence that is having such a devastating impact on families and communities, policymakers need to mov(...)

Sue Collins, founder of Addiction Response Crumlin, said: “In Crumlin we have been calling for a local, mini-Cab to take the local ‘big boys’ out of circulation.” File photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times
Campaigner calls for mini-Cab to target drug dealers

A mini criminal assets bureau should be established in areas worst affected by substance abuse to seize the assets of those known to be enriched by th(...)