How can Dublin be made safe?
On Sunday, Skylar Thompson, a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was allegedly attacked on Dame Street in the early hours of the morning.
He sustained minor injuries and did not require hospitalisation.
Still, if a hulking NFL player can be attacked in Dublin, how can average sized people feel safe?
On Lunchtime Live, Hyde and Doug’s Bar owner Ian Redmond said news of the alleged attack was “not a good look, is it?”
“Certainly, when I’m going from point a to point b, I kind of pick my route based on what’s going to be the safest and I try and get there as quick as I can,” he said.
“Walking around the city isn’t safe anymore; we’ve gone back to pre-pandemic levels.
“There was a 29% increase in violent crime, in your face crime coming out of the pandemic in 2024.”
Members of the Gardaí and the Public Order Unit on Dublin's O'Connell Street. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie.Mr Redmond praised the higher visibility of Gardaí in recent months, which he described as “very welcome” but said more needs to be done.
“But from a nightclub and bar point of view, we’re calling on the Minister to bring in sequential closing and late night opening,” he said.
“It would [mean] people on the streets at different times.”
Mr Redmond said if this happened, there would still be “an element” of antisocial behaviour but it would be more spread out.
Main image: NFL player Skylar Thompson. Picture by: AMG/AMG via ZUMA Press Wire.
