EDITORIAL: New JPC model must keep the best parts of the current committee

There is a reason in times of major political change, people focus on law and order.

Whether that is a change in a country’s leadership or an influx of people from other countries, people fear what they don’t understand.

People need to feel safe. Society needs to talk about its member’s fears. Democracy needs space to find common ground.

In terms of local law and order, that is the benefit of the Joint Policing Committees.

At this week’s sitting of Tipperary County Council, there was a lot of anxiety about the future of the JPCs.

Councillors discussed a motion passed by Louth County Council to retain them rather than “repackage” them as Local Community Safety Partnerships.

We can’t say whether whatever replaces them, be it now or in the future, will be just as good.

But if the the new model is to work, it must retain the best parts of the current JPCs.

A new committee needs to keep transparency. For the current JPC, that looks like the Chief Superintendent’s report and media access.

The report breaks down crimes like assaults, burglary, domestic violence, traffic offences and more.

It changes depending on what members are interested in examining and provides answers to the public’s questions.

Allowing the media to observe means people have easy access to the information through the newspaper, websites and radio.

A new committee or partnership needs to have a strong representation from politics.

The people we elect to council or the Dáil represent us. We voted them in, and if we aren’t happy, we will get the chance to vote them out. But until then, they represent everyone and their issues.

The last thing is strong communication.

The new Local Community Safety Partnerships may be the worst or the best thing to ever happen to the JPC.

Right now, the new model looming is just a source of anxiety.

Nobody knows what the new model will look like or what their role in it will be. Information needs to be provided yesterday.

Law and order, at the end of the day, is about safety and protection. People fear what they don’t understand.

Even if it will be the best thing for everyone in the long run.