Gardaí have 'good picture' of gang numbers - Commissioner

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly assured the public that the force has a "good picture" of the criminal landscape in Ireland, detailing an "organised crime threat assessment" that analyzes the numbers, structures, and operations of various gangs. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for 193 new members of An Garda Síochána in Templemore, Co. Tipperary, Kelly emphasized that while he is "reluctant" to put an exact number on the gangs, their presence is not significantly increasing.

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we have done is we have examined and we have analysed all the different groups. "We have done what we call an organised crime threat assessment. We work with colleagues in Europol as well around some of the analysis. But we certainly have a really good picture around the numbers, the structures, how they [the gangs] operate.

Kelly used the opportunity to highlight Ireland's safety, pointing to the remarkable achievement of zero firearm homicides last year, a statistic not seen since the 1960s. This, he noted, makes Ireland the envy of many European nations. The addition of 193 new gardaí, bringing the total force to 14,661, is a significant boost, with 57 of them specifically assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region North, an area that has seen recent gang-related incidents.

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Whenever there is discussion around numbers, it is still really important to remember Ireland is a really safe country. Ireland is a safe country. So last year, there was not one homicide by firearm and that's the first time since the 1960s and we here in Ireland are the envy of many countries in Europe that we have that position.

Addressing concerns following feuding gang activity in Ballymun, Dublin, Kelly confirmed that "significant additional resources" are being deployed to the area. He acknowledged the near-tragic outcome of a recent incident involving a child but stressed that police operations are ongoing. On the same morning as the Ballymun incident, a firearm was recovered in a separate operation in the same locality, underscoring the continuous efforts to combat organized crime. The Commissioner's remarks aim to reassure the public while acknowledging the persistent challenges posed by criminal organizations.

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We are putting significant additional resources into that area. And I think in relation to the incident that happened with the child, obviously, I mean, it could have had absolutely tragic outcomes, and thank goodness it didn't.