Cllr Michael Conaghan

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Lord Mayor visits Banbridge as part of Commission on Crime

Issued : Wednesday 8 December, 2004

A delegation of councillors and officials from Dublin City Council including the Labour Lord Mayor Councillor Michael Conaghan have paid a one-day visit to Banbridge District Council today (December 8) to meet with members of the Banbridge District Policing Partnership (DPP) and Banbridge District Community Safety Partnership (CSP). The visit has been arranged as part of the Lord Mayor’s Commission on Crime and it is hoped it will give an insight into the workings of both Banbridge DPP and Banbridge District CSP.

Councillor Michael Conaghan, Lord Mayor of Dublin, said: “The issues of policing and crime are important issues for the citizens of Dublin. The context of this Commission on Crime and Policing is two-fold. Firstly, Dublin City Council provides leadership in addressing issues of crime and policing in Dublin. Secondly, the new Garda Bill takes account of the views of the citizens and city council in shaping joint community policing. This requires a new partnership at local level between the police, local communities and the elected members of local authorities.”

Councillor Ian Burns, Chairman with Banbridge District Council and also a member of Banbridge DPP, said: “The Council, Banbridge DPP and Banbridge District CSP are pleased to welcome our distinguished guests from Dublin who can share in our experiences. Since the establishment of Banbridge DPP and Banbridge District CSP in 2003, much has been achieved with local communities having a greater say in local policing and community safety. The achievements of these local bodies to date, specifically in the area of community consultation, monitoring police performance, reducing crime and fear of crime, supporting community safety projects, demonstrate how effective they can be when responsibility is shared amongst key stakeholder groups. I trust that our southern neighbours can learn much from us.”

Superintendent Mervyn Waddell, PSNI District Commander for Banbridge, added, “I welcome the opportunity to share our experiences and exchange good practice on policing with the community.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin was accompanied by several members of the Lord Mayor’s Commission on Policing. During the visit, the Lord Mayor and the commissioners heard a presentation from Superintendent Mervyn Waddell, PSNI Banbridge District Commander and Mrs Amanda Mullholland, Banbridge DPP Manager. This was followed by another presentation on Banbridge District CSP by its chair, Mr Aengus Hannaway and Community Safety Co-ordinator, Mrs Rhonda Abraham.