Safety of women in public spaces to be examined
In the wake of the Ashling Murphy murder, a subgroup of Offaly Joint Policing Committee (JPC) is to be established to examine the issue of women’s safety, with a particular emphasis on safety in public spaces.
During a wide-ranging discussion on the issue of gender-based violence at the meeting, which was attended by Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, it emerged that the biggest risk to women’s safety continues to be from a current or previous intimate partner.
The greater risk to women is not when they are out in the public realm, but in the safety of their own home” said the Commissioner, who reiterated the commitment of the force to tackling the issue of gender-based violence in all its forms.
“We put huge emphasis on gender-based violence” the Garda Commissioner assured members of the JPC, who added that there has been “ much discussion about the safety of women and girls in the public realm” in the light of the recent murder in Tullamore, but he again reiterated that the greatest threat to the safety of women and girls is in “domestic settings.”
Despite the remarks of the Commissioner, it was decided at the meeting that a subgroup of the JPC should be set up to examine the issue of safety for women and girls in public spaces across the county of Offaly.
The suggestion came from Tullamore Superintendent Eamonn Curley, who remarked on the multitude of public amenities available across county Offaly, and said it was “one of the first things” that struck him about the county when he took up his position as Superintendent having previously been based in neighbouring Laois.
His suggestion mirrored that of Green Party Cllr, Mark Hackett, who had previously called for the issue of women’s safety in public spaces to be examined, and again raised it with Commissioner Harris at Monday’s JPC meeting.
Cllr Hackett called for “gender balance” on any committee that would be set up to discuss the issue of women’s safety, and said he would not allow his name to go forward for the proposed group unless there was “at least one” female representative.
It was agreed by the meeting that the sub committee would comprise of two Cllrs, Mark Hackett and Neil Feighery; two garda inspectors, Ollie Baker (Tullamore) and Alan Kerins (Birr), and two representatives from the Public Participation Network (PPN): Seamus Rourke and Penny Rowe. Offaly County Council Chief Executive, Anna Marie Delaney, also undertook to nominate one representative from the Council Engineering staff.
During his address to the meeting, Supt Eamonn Curley said it was the mission of An Garda Sionchana “to keep people safe” while at the same time ensuring that people “feel safe” as they go about their daily lives.
He admitted that, while a review of safety in public places “might not identify any additional measures” that could be put in place, he felt it was a “timely exercise” particularly in light of the horrific events that had taken place in recent weeks.
The head of policing in the Laois, Offaly & Kildare Garda Division, Chief Superintendent John Scanlan, acknowledged that it was “very difficult” to discuss the issue of safety in public places in light of the “horrendous event on the canal” but he was in agreement with the suggestion of setting up a subcommittee to look at safety in public spaces.
The Garda Commissioner urged anyone who feels their safety is being threatened to “pick up the phone and ring 999” and he reassured them An Garda Siochana will “see them safely home.”
Following Monday’s meeting, Cllr Mark Hackett said the shortage of women as public representatives was “in sharp focus” at the JPC meeting, and he was also critical of the fact that some members “failed to see the importance of women being included in a review of something that focused on them.”
“The term 'nothing about me without me' came to mind” he said, adding that he had to point out that he would not be sitting on the subgroup “unless there were women on it alongside me.”
Cllr Hackett repeated his call for women in Offaly to come forward for election and other leadership roles. “We badly need you and for men to support you in doing this” he said.