Wicklow’s new safety partnership draws strong local engagement at public meeting

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

Residents highlighted concerns about theft, poor lighting, water safety, anti-social behaviour and derelict buildings.

Digital and cyber safety, including online grooming, scams and harmful content, emerged as a major issue.

Attendees called for more visible community gardaí and better coordination on rural and urban safety measures.

The meeting room at Kilian House Family Centre in Greystones recently played host to the first public meeting of the Wicklow Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), as residents from Greystones, Kilcoole, Delgany and Killincarrig arrived to take part in what marks a new era of community policing engagement in Ireland.

The event was one of several public consultations taking place across the county as part of the development of a new three-year community safety plan.

Though the format may have felt familiar to those who once attended Joint Policing Committee meetings, the purpose, structure and ambition of the LCSP represent a significant shift in how Ireland approaches community safety, a shift rooted in years of policy debate, legislative reform and public demand for a more holistic, accountable and community centred model.

The meeting was chaired by Cllr Tom Fortune, who opened with a simple question: “Why are we here?”

The LCSP, he explained, is not a forum for reporting crimes nor a platform for political point‑scoring. Instead, it is a “partnership” designed to bring together the lived experience of communities, the expertise of state agencies and the operational knowledge of An Garda Síochána.

The goal is to build a safety plan that reflects the real concerns of local people, not just the priorities of institutions.

“This is not a sprint but a marathon,” Cllr Fortune said, reminding attendees that the work of community safety is ongoing, collaborative and grounded in mutal trust.

The LCSP model itself is the product of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, one of the most substantial reforms of policing oversight in Ireland since the establishment of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in 2005.

The Act, enacted in April 2025, mandated every local authority to establish a Local Community Safety Partnership, replacing the Joint Policing Committees that had existed since 2006.

While JPCs provided a forum for councillors, gardaí and community representatives to discuss policing issues, they were often criticised for being overly formal, limited in scope and insufficiently responsive to the broader social factors that shape safety.

The 2018 Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, a landmark report that examined everything from garda culture to community engagement, argued that policing alone could not shoulder the responsibility for community safety. Issues such as addiction, mental health, housing, youth services and digital harm required a multi‑agency approach. The LCSPs were designed to embody that philosophy.

In Wicklow, the LCSP was formally established in December 2025, with 26 seats filled by appointment of the Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.

Its membership includes local councillors, gardaí, representatives from the HSE, Tusla, education bodies, youth services and community organisations. Public representatives from Wicklow, including Pat Kennedy, Ned Whelan, Avril Cronin, Paul O’Brien, Jason Mulhall, Joe Behan and Tom Fortune, sit alongside agency officials, each with equal input.

The partnership meets six times a year and operates on rolling three-year terms.

Its task is to identify local safety concerns, coordinate responses across agencies and produce a comprehensive plan that addresses anti‑social behaviour, road and road safety issues, and domestic violence, the three statutory pillars of the LCSP framework.

The Greystones meeting was part of the LCSP’s summer consultation phase, during which communities across the county are invited to share their experiences and priorities.

The feedback gathered will shape the first Wicklow Community Safety Plan, due to be finalised later this year.

Over the course of the evening, residents spoke candidly about the challenges they face, from the mundane to the deeply personal.

A recurring theme was the changing dynamic of community life. Several attendees noted that, while Greystones retains a strong sense of neighbourliness, evident in street parties, WhatsApp groups and local forums, the rise of apartment living has introduced new complexities.

Different lifestyles, transient tenancies and limited shared spaces can strain relationships and create tensions that, while not criminal, affect people’s sense of safety.

Concerns about physical safety were also prominent. Theft, particularly of e‑scooters and bicycles, was raised repeatedly.

Poor street lighting in certain areas was highlighted as a deterrent to walking at night, especially for women and older residents.

Water safety, a perennial issue in coastal communities, was mentioned in the context of increased sea swimming and the need for better signage and public awareness.

Anti‑social behaviour, from vandalism to late night disturbances, remains a concern, though several residents stressed that the majority of young people in the area are respectful and engaged.

Digital and cyber safety emerged as one of the most urgent topics of the night.

Parents spoke of online grooming, exposure to pornography, phishing scams and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence tools that can be misused to manipulate or deceive.

The sense that children are navigating a digital world far more complex than anything previous generations experienced was palpable.

Attendees called for stronger engagement with schools, better education for parents and more accessible resources for families trying to keep up with online risks.

Several residents called for increased Garda presence, not necessarily in the form of enforcement but through visible, community‑based policing. The absence of dedicated community gardaí in the area was noted with concern.

Others raised the issue of drug intimidation, particularly the quiet but devastating pressure placed on young people to carry or store drugs.

Dereliction, long‑abandoned buildings that attract anti‑social behaviour, was also highlighted as an issue requiring coordinated action between local authorities and gardaí.

Public representatives themselves were not immune from scrutiny. Some spoke of the online abuse they receive, often from anonymous accounts, and the way such behaviour can spill over into attacks on other community members.

Sergeant John Fitzpatrick addressing the LSCP public meeting in Greystones.

Sergeant John Fitzpatrick provided practical guidance on holiday scams, online fraud and home security. He urged residents to be wary of social media travel deals, to verify offers through the Irish Travel Agents Association, and to use tools such as Google Lens and scamcheck.ie.

He also emphasised the importance of basic home‑safety measures, tidy lawns, cars in driveways, secure windows and doors, and encouraged residents to take part in the “checklist challenge” promoted by gardaí.

Rural issues were also given space, with the Irish Farmers Association highlighting the ongoing problem of dogs worrying livestock and the geographical divide between east and west Wicklow, where some communities are far from the nearest garda station.

Text alert systems and neighbourhood watch schemes were discussed as vital tools for rural safety, reinforcing the LCSP’s commitment to addressing the diverse needs of both urban and rural communities.

As the meeting drew to a close, the atmosphere was one of cautious optimism.

The LCSP model is still new, and its success will depend on sustained local engagement, transparency and follow through. But the turnout in Greystones, and the depth of the conversations that took place, suggest that communities are ready to play their part.

The LCSP’s challenge now is to translate that growing energy into a plan that is both ambitious and grounded in reality.