More armed Gardaí will be deployed to patrol Dublin city centre, the Government has announced. 

Following a number of high profile crimes in the capital, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has announced a series of measures to make Dublin safer.

Dubbed ‘Operation Citizen’, the Department of Justice has allocated €10 million for Garda overtime - which will mean an additional 16,500 policing hours every month.

There will be a specific focus on the city centre and the Garda Air Support Unit, the Garda Mounted Unit, the Garda Dog Unit, Regional Armed Response Units and Road Policing Units will all be deployed in order to boost Garda visibility in the area.

Gardaí from the Emergency Response Unit on patrol in North Inner City Dublin.

Speaking to journalists, Minister McEntee said she wanted to ensure that Dubliners and those who visit the city ‘are safe and feel safe’ when out and about.

“[Operation Citizen] will ensure we have increased specialist units - in particular the Public Order Unit will receive a significant amount of this funding,” she said.

“We’ll also have specific planned days of actions as well.

“All of this is with the intention of making sure that we have the high visibility presence of An Garda Síochána across the city.

“That we ensure that people are safe, they feel safe and that the Gardaí can continue to detect but also prevent crime.”

Garda planned days of high impact visibility will see members of the force erect checkpoints, execute warrants, immigration checks and enforcement of road traffic offences in the city centre.

Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis said An Garda Síochána’s hopes this will “reassure the citizens, visitors and the business community that Dublin is a safe place in which to live, visit, and work.”

Main image: An armed Garda. Picture by: Alamy.com