An Garda Síochána has expanded its high-visibility patrols from Dublin’s city centre into suburban areas across the east and south of the county.
Preliminary figures released by gardaí indicate that during the first year of the initiative in Dublin city centre, there was an increase in detections for public order and drunkenness offences, reports RTE.
The data also revealed a drop in robberies and assaults, although incidents of shop theft rose.
The figures further show that in the first six months of the initiative, cases involving the assault or obstruction of a member of An Garda Síochána increased in Dublin city centre, but this pattern has since reversed, with provisional data from April 2025 to March 2026 indicating a 14% decline, reports RTE.
Gardaí first introduced the high-visibility policing strategy in Dublin city in March 2025.
In recent months, the scheme has been rolled out to additional parts of Dublin, reports RTE.
In the eastern part of the Dublin Metropolitan Region, high-visibility patrols are now active in areas such as Dún Laoghaire, Shankill, Blackrock, Dundrum, including the Dundrum Town Centre, while in the south they cover The Square Shopping Centre, Tallaght village, Rathfarnham, Crumlin, Rathmines, Rathgar and Terenure.
Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Roberts said there are plans to expand the initiative further into northern and eastern parts of Dublin, though he noted that “no exact dates” have yet been set, reports RTE.
A statement from An Garda Síochána said that “High Visibility foot patrols in key areas around the region were chosen from feedback from the community and businesses in the region as well as our own crime location data.”
High Visibility Policing Initiatives are also in operation in Cork and Limerick, reports RTE.
High-visibility patrols were introduced in Tallaght in February.
“We have the beat here in the Square (shopping centre), and another one in Tallaght village. Again, there’s a much older demographic in the village, and the elderly population out there would be stopping you, constantly telling you that they’re just delighted to see you out and about patrolling,” Garda Kevin Mitchell said,
“You’d get lost children, a lot of tourists looking for directions and looking to be pointed to the direction of bus stops or Luas stops, and again, businesses that have, you know, maybe a theft instance to report or damage to property, stuff like that,” Gda Mitchell added, reports RTE.
He has been stationed in Tallaght for five years and was joined on patrol by new recruit Garda Matthew Duggan.
“I’m about 12 weeks out of college and I’m finding it very positive, the interactions so far,” Gda Duggan said,
“You get a different side of people as well, its not all crime and incidents,” Gda Duggan said, reports RTE.
“So far, we’ve had very positive feedback from local communities, members of the business community, from retailers that provides a great deal of reassurance to the public to see guards on the street, and we will continue to expand the initiative further,” Assistant Commissioner Roberts said.
When asked about the 5% rise in shop thefts during the first year of the initiative in Dublin city centre, Assistant Commissioner Roberts said they are aware of the increase and take retail theft “very seriously”, reports RTE.
“We’re very clear that where there are repeat offenders, we know who they are and we will deal with them,” Assistant Commissioner Roberts said,
“We have also, including here at the square, … had very high detection rates locally, on occasions, and we are satisfied that we will improve in that area and that the high visibility beats will play a significant factor in doing so,” reports RTE.
The provisional crime data for Dublin city centre between April 2025 and March 2026 showed increases in what An Garda Síochána describe as “pro-active policing detections”.
These included a 12% rise in public order offences, a 21% increase in drunkenness offences, a 16% rise in simple drug possession, and a 27% increase in obstruction offences under the Drugs Act, reports RTE.
The data also showed reductions in several other categories, including a 12% drop in drug possession for sale or supply, a 23% decrease in thefts from a person, a 33% fall in robberies from a person, a 45% reduction in business robberies, a 40% decrease in begging offences, a 12% fall in minor assaults, and an 18% reduction in assaults causing harm, reports RTE.
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