COMHCHOISTE PÓILÍNEACHTA - CONTAE CHIARRAÍ County Kerry - Joint Policing Committee Kerry Joint Policing Committee Annual Report 2019 Contents Forewords ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Councillor Niall Kelleher, Chair of the Kerry JPC ................................................................................................................ 3 Chief Superintendent Eileen Foster, Kerry Division, An Garda Siochána ........................................................................... 3 Moira Murrell, Chief Executive, Kerry County Council ....................................................................................................... 3 Kerry Joint Policing Committee: ....................................................................................................................................... 4 About the JPC.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Strategic and Annual Plans: .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Membership & Meetings of the JPC: ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Sub-Committees ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Local Policing Fora .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Strategic Themes & Objectives of the Kerry JPC Plan: ............................................................................................................................ 7 Review of Crime in Kerry 2019 ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Comparative Crimes Summary 2019 .................................................................................................................................. 8 Headline crime categories: – 2017 vs 2018 vs 2019 .......................................................................................................................... 8 Property Crime – 2017, 2018 & 2019 ................................................................................................................................. 9 Burglary ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Theft of and from Vehicles ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Thefts ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Crimes Against the Person – Assaults 2017, 2018 & 2019 ............................................................................................... 10 Criminal Damage and Public Order - 2017, 2018 & 2019 ................................................................................................ 11 Criminal Damage ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Public Order ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Drugs & Offensive Weapons - 2017, 2018 & 2019 ........................................................................................................... 12 Drugs ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Possession of Offensive Weapons ................................................................................................................................................... 12 Roads Policing Data .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Traffic Collisions............................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Driving while Intoxicated ................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Other Roads Policing Enforcement Data ......................................................................................................................................... 13 Tracking Progress Against Annual & Strategic Plan: ....................................................................................................... 14 Key Achievements (Item #2 JPC Guidelines Annual Report) ........................................................................................... 18 Achievement #1: Kerry Garda Youth Achievement Awards 2019 .................................................................................... 18 Achievement # 2: Hospital Watch .................................................................................................................................... 18 Achievement # 3: Coffee with your Cops ......................................................................................................................... 18 Achievement # 4: Operation Páistí ................................................................................................................................... 18 Achievement # 5: Municipal District – Quarterly Local Crime Briefings: ......................................................................... 18 Community Alert Groups Active in the County – Survey in 2017 .................................................................................... 19 Community Text Alert schemes – surveyed in 2018 ....................................................................................................... 20 List of Public Meetings (Item #3 JPC Guidelines Annual Report) .................................................................................... 21 Meeting details (Item #4 JPC Guidelines Annual Report) ............................................................................................... 21 COMHCHOISTE PÓILÍNEACHTA - CONTAE CHIARRAÍ County Kerry - Joint Policing Committee Forewords Councillor Niall Kelleher, Chair of the Kerry JPC Welcome to the fourth annual report of the Kerry Joint Policing Committee. The JPC continues to play a valuable role in providing strategic linkages and strong channels of communication between An Garda Síochána, Kerry County Council and the wider Community in matters of policing and safety. The JPC also provides a level of local democratic oversight of the Gardaí’s work within County Kerry through the forum it provides to elected representatives and those representing community and voluntary organisations to raise matters of mutual concern. A new JPC convened during 2019. I would like to thank the members of both the new JPC & the 2014-2019 JPC and its sub-committees for their contributions in advancing the JPC’s work. I would like to compliment the Gardaí at all levels in Kerry and thank Chief Supt. Foster and her Mgt team for their work with the JPC and for the opportunities for engagement and input into the new Policing Plan. It is an exciting time for Community-centric policing. Chief Superintendent Eileen Foster, Kerry Division, An Garda Siochána The Mission statement of An Garda Síochána is Ag Coinneáil Daoine Sábháilte – Keeping People Safe. Keeping people safe has been a major focus of An Garda Síochána and continues to be a priority for the year going forward. We are committed to the people of Kerry and have increased the number of members in our Divisional Drugs Unit and Roads Policing Units. We are entering into a new era of policing in the Kerry Division with the implementation of a New Operating Model, the purpose of which is to streamline services and free up sworn members of An Garda Síochána for frontline duties. An Garda Síochána in the Kerry Division are looking forward to working with the JPC in implementing our policing plans while continuing to adapt to our ever-changing environment in facing the challenges ahead. Finally, I would personally like to thank the people of Kerry for their support of the work of Gardaí around the county. Ní Neart go cur le chéile. Moira Murrell, Chief Executive, Kerry County Council Kerry County Council works closely with An Garda Siochána on the Joint Policing Committee and in other forums - such as emergency management and road safety. We share common objectives – to make and promote Kerry as a safe place to live in and a safe place to visit; to create a safe environment