Labour Youth slams 'Starsky and Hutch' crime Bill
Tough new Government legislation to fight crime is too ‘Starsky and Hutch’ and won’t deter criminals from offending, it was claimed today.
Labour Youth today launched its ’Kill the Bill’ online campaign against the Criminal Bill (2004) – a package of anti-crime measures due to pass through the Oireachtas soon.
Justice minister Michael McDowell said the new laws will enhance the powers of the gardaí in investigating and prosecuting offences and boost the criminal justice system.
But Labour’s justice spokesman Joe Costello described the Bill’s extreme provisions as ‘Starsky and Hutch’ – referring to the hard-boiled cop series in the 1970s.
He said: “It’s not all about car chases and busting criminals. We need more community policing and diversion programmes for offenders.”
Referring to the Reclaim The Streets riot in 2002 and the Abbeylara shooting of John Carthy, he said: “These extensive new powers will embroil the gardaí in more controversy and will do little to strengthen the effort to reduce crime.
“The Gardaí have more powers on the statute books than they could hope to ever use in a lifetime.”
Labour Youth chairman Donal O’Liathain said the party wing was opposed to the extra powers granted to gardaí in the Bill, “specifically the issuing of on-the-spot fines for public order without going through the courts”.
The Bill will give gardaí the authority to issue search warrants and double detention periods to 24 hours.
Statements which are later withdrawn by witnesses will be deemed admissible in courts.
Gardaí will be able to issue on-the-spot fines for public order offences and routinely take DNA samples like mouth swabs and hair follicles.
Mr McDowell also aims to introduce amendments like the electronic tagging of offenders.
Mr Costello said that taking a hard-line attitude toward district court offences would not stem rising crime.
He called for more community gardaí on the beat in local areas and for youth diversion programmes and community sanctions to steer offenders away from a life of crime.
He said: “The increasing drug problem, public order offences, personal assault and anti-social behaviour in our housing estates and on our streets are not the stuff of Starsky and Hutch.
“We require a Garda Siochana which is in contact and in tune with the people who are being subjected to this local criminality which breaches their personal safety and their homes.
“The sense of security of a Garda uniform and early response to an emergency call would represent good policing in the minds of many people.”
Labour Youth hopes to win public support with its www.killthebill.net online campaign.
