On Thursday 25 July, the Policing Authority will hold a public conversation on Community Safety oversight, which will be live-streamed on the Authority’s website. A panel of experts and an invited audience of key stakeholders will consider what Community Safety oversight might look like in an Irish policing context.

In September 2018, the Commission on the Future of Policing recommended the establishment of a new Policing and Community Safety Oversight Commission to supersede the Policing Authority and the Garda Inspectorate. A core function of the new body would be to promote inter-agency working and scrutinise the role of all agencies as they affect policing and Community Safety. This recommendation forms part of a Government programme of policing reform, which was approved in December 2018.

But what is Community Safety and how could it be enhanced by oversight? While it is widely accepted that Community Safety goes beyond a focus on crime and crime prevention, there are differing views regarding the structures, membership and agencies that might be involved, as well as the nature of their oversight, funding and governance. As the Policing and Community Safety Bill is being prepared, the Policing Authority will gather together key experts to discuss these and other questions relating to Community Safety.

The speakers at the event are: Dr Johnny Connolly, Member of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and research fellow in the UL School of Law; Ms Susannah Hancock, Chief Executive of the Association of Policing and Crime Commissioners UK; Ms Rita Fagan, Director of the Family Resource Centre in St Michael’s Estate, Inchicore; and Professor Duncan Morrow, Professor in Politics and Director of Community Engagement at Ulster University. The event will be moderated by Ms Clare Duignan.

The event can be viewed live on www.policingauthority.ie from 10am on Thursday 25 July 2019.