Top cop says alcohol and drugs a factor in nearly all street crime

Alcohol and drugs is a factor in nearly all public order offences and assaults committed in the city, according to Galway’s top Garda.

Chief Superintendent Tom Curley, confirmed the correlation between alcohol and drugs misuse, and public order offences and assaults.

He warned that over the coming weeks of Christmas, with parties in full swing and alcohol flowing, his members will have to deal with many more assaults and public order offences.

In his report to the Galway City Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Chief Supt Curley said the number of public order offences in the city in the first 10 months of the year had increased by 5%.

Public order was up by 26 incidents to 560, which equated to 56 for every month since January. There was one racially-motivated public order offence during that period, compared with three in the first 10 months of 2015. That represented a 67% reduction.

It is only in recent reports that Galway Garda have provided information about racially-motivated public order offences, at the behest of members.

Meanwhile, the number of assaults causing harm has fallen by 37% in the first 10 months of the year. During that period, some 46 incidents were reported to Gardaí, compared with 73 for the corresponding period last year.

Minor assaults had also fallen in that time – they were down by 13%, from 180 to 157.

Fianna Fáil City Councillor, Peter Keane, a solicitor, said he saw the impact drink was having on society through his day job.  Cllr Keane said every case involving public order and assaults before the District Court in Galway related to alcohol consumption. He said being drunk and over consumption of alcohol was nearly always proffered as an excuse by defending solicitors in court cases.

Galway City Councillor Pádraig Conneely said the city was paying ‘lip service’ to alcohol. The main attraction at the Christmas Market, he said, was the beer tent; alcohol is served at civic receptions at City Hall; and beer is the main attraction at Connacht Rugby games.

Meanwhile, Maireád Farrell (SF) expressed concern at the increase in domestic violence incidents.

The JPC heard how alcohol was a factor in many domestic incidents.

There was a 31% increase in breaches of barring orders, safety orders and protection orders in the first 10 months of the year.  That was up by 11 to 46. There were 10 more domestic incidents where the offence isn’t disclosed, up 7% to 145.

Rapes were up by 30%, from 10 to 13; and non-aggravated sexual assaults were up by 21% from 19 to 23.

Many of the sexual offences were historic, and the alleged crimes were perpetrated years and decades ago, said Chief Supt Curley who confirmed Gardaí were following definite lines of inquiry in relation to any fresh sexual assault cases.