Gardai to crack down on 'closing-time crime'
The Gardai are set to mount a major offensive against alcohol-fuelled crime after a huge rise in the number of public order offences committed around pub closing time.
In Dublin alone, an average of 100 drunken people are arrested each night and 25,000 have been arrested since last October.
Gardai in cities and towns across Ireland are now planning a major expansion of street patrols to combat so-called 'closing-time crime'.
The Gardai mounted a crackdown on street violence following a significant number of high-profile fatal drunken incidents over the past few years.
However, despite this, the figures for those committing public order offences remain staggering.
According to the Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, the high level of arrests proves that his crackdown is working and that the heavy garda presence has acted as a strong deterrent.
Fine Gael's Frances Fitzgerald, on the other hand, said the number of arrests is shocking and proves that street crime is now out of control.
