Gardaí have begun patrolling the streets of Dublin on e-bikes for the first time, with a view to extending the use of them across the force based on the results of the pilot project.
Three different models of e-bikes are being trialed as part of an effort to determine which bikes are best suited to policing demands. It is anticipated the roll out of the e-bikes will be extended to Cork city by the end of the year, with further extensions of the scheme envisaged next year.
Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, who is in charge of policing across the Dublin Metropolitan Region, said the use of the e-bikes, which should increase the range and speed of patrols, will help bolster Garda visibility.
“We fully appreciate the reassurance that high visibility policing provides to the public,” Ms Willis said. “This pilot sees a number of different models of e-bikes being used by members of An Garda Síochána over the coming months.
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“These new electric bicycles will enhance our visibility, particularly in the city centre as part of Operation Citizen. The new e-bike patrols will help us further increase the existing foot, pedal cycle and mobile patrols within the city centre – an area that has a weekly footfall of almost two million people.
“This initiative demonstrates our ongoing commitment to keeping people safe in the capital.”
News of the new initiative comes as research shows that perceptions of safety in Dublin have been falling since about 2016, according to Red C polls carried out for Dublin Town, which promotes businesses and trade in the city centre.
The research, published in The Irish Times on Monday, reveals perceptions slipped most in the period from 2016 to 2020. There has been a further, albeit more modest, deterioration in public perceptions of safety in Dublin since the start of 2020.
Richard Guiney, chief executive of Dublin Town, said a trend of declining perceptions of safety in large cities since the pandemic began, followed by society reopening, has been reported in many parts of the world.
The Government and Garda have been under pressure for several months over the need to increase Garda visibility in central Dublin after a series of high profile violent incidents. However, Garda crime data does not indicate a sudden increase in attacks.
After a serious assault on US tourist Stephen Termini (57) on Talbot Street in Dublin 1 last month, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced a €10 million overtime top-up budget for extra Garda patrols in Dublin to the end of the year.
Garda headquarters said on Monday that the roll out of e-bikes for use by the force for the first time was part of a “broader feasibility of the use of e-bikes in Irish policing”. Six e-bikes have been introduced this weekend for use by gardaí based at Store Street and Pearse Street stations.
The e-bikes are up to 250w and can operate at up to 25km/h, enabling gardaí to cover larger distances. They are expected to help with operations in congested areas. The pilot project is being operated in partnership with GreenAer, an Irish distributor of a large number of electric bike manufacturers.
