New partnership group in Offaly aims to help make communities safer
A new organisation, the Offaly Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), has been established in an effort to help enhance safety in communities across the county.
Set up by Offaly County Council, the LCSP met for the first time on Wednesday, January 21.
The partnership brings together residents, community organisations and representatives, business and education sectors, social inclusion, local services and community interests together with An Garda Síochána, elected representatives and stakeholders including Offaly County Council, HSE and Tusla.
This inter-agency effort aims to work collectively on identifying and addressing safety concerns, promoting inclusion, and fostering a stronger sense of community.
At the inaugural meeting, Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick and Molly Buckley were elected as the LCSP's chairperson and vice-chairperson respectively.
Upon his appointment, Cllr Fitzpatrick said "community safety begins with community".
"My ambition is to build a strong, consensus-driven partnership that listens to people across the county and work together to create safer, more connected communities.
"We will identify the issues that matter most to people and work together to develop a Local Safety Plan which reflects the lived experience of rural life and progress agreed actions and priorities together," the Councillor said.
Offaly County Council said the "innovative" LCSP model "marks a significant shift towards a more holistic and community-led approach" to public safety.
The objective of the LCSP is to bring the relevant bodies together with communities in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified and prioritised by local people.
The partnership is to develop a Local Community Safety Plan, informed by public consultation and data-driven insights, to address priorities such as crime prevention, road safety, youth engagement, anti-social behaviour, hate crime and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
In a video address, Minister for Justice Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan said he was extremely pleased that the Offaly Local Community Safety Partnership had been established.
"This marks another significant step on the rollout of these partnerships nationwide and this Government's new approach to community safety," the Minister said.
"The next step for this partnership is to develop and implement its own, tailored community safety plan bringing together local representatives, community groups and state agencies which allows LCSP to develop a plan that identifies community safety needs in their own area.
"I'd like to thank everyone involved in Offaly LCSP for being part of this significant new chapter in community safety. I look forward to following their progress."