Tipp Councillor says new policing plan will leave many vulnerable

A Tipperary County Councillor says the new Garda policing plan will have disastrous effects.

Fianna Fáil’s Roger Kennedy says the radical restructuring of the Garda force will leave rural areas more vulnerable.

The reforms announced by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris this week include a reduction in the number of Garda regions and divisions, and an increase in the number of operational Gardaí.

Chief Superintendents in charge of the divisions are to be given more powers, allowing them to oversee a more community-based approach to policing.

Councillor Roger Kennedy, who’s outgoing Chair of Tipperary Joint Policing-Committee welcomes the commitment to increase operational Gardaí.

But he remains sceptical about the rest of the plan.