Longford Local Community Safety Partnership
Longford Local Community Safety Partnership
Longford Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) gives local people a stronger voice to identify and tackle community safety issues. Community safety goes beyond just policing and crime. It is also about people being and feeling safe in their communities. It includes everything from visible Gardaí to safe places for children to play.
The LCSP brings together state services, the voluntary and community sectors, local councillors, businesses and community members, including individuals, families and young and older people. Representatives of the community will make up 51% of the members of the Local Community Safety Partnership, meaning community voices will be the majority.
County Longford is one of three areas where the new pilot LCSPs. The other two are Waterford City and County, and Dublin’s North Inner City Local Electoral Area. Longford LCSP is supported by the Department of Justice and Longford County Council.
Each LCSP will have an independent chairperson. Longford LCSP Chair Martina Moloney was appointed by the Minister for Justice. Longford LCSP is supported by a full-time Community Safety Coordinator, based in Longford County Council.
Longford Community Safety Plan 2022-2024
Longford Community Safety Plan 2022-2024 is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Local Community Safety Partnership, residents, community groups, businesses, councillors, Longford County Council and state services such as An Garda Síochána, Tusla and the HSE. The plan aims to build a solid foundation in Longford for working together with all stakeholders to maintain and enhance community safety, as outlined in the Community Safety Policy issued by the Department of Justice. It includes six priority areas with 17 objectives, including:
- Enhance crime prevention and response, Garda visibility and the perception of safety in Longford
- Build capacity and drive collaboration within the Longford Community Safety Partnership
- Improve communication and sharing of information about services and supports
- Enhance integration and supports for minority groups, new communities, and disadvantaged communities
- Build a model of community and agency collaboration and response in targeted geographic areas in Longford
- Lead collaborative community safety and community development projects across County Longford
Longford Community Safety Plan 2022-2024 was launched by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD on 19 September 2022. Read the Longford Community Safety Plan 2022-2024.
Longford LCSP News
Catch up on our latest news by following the Longford Local Community Safety Partnership Facebook page! You can also see below for some highlights:
Community Safety Small Grant Scheme
An Evaluation Committee made up of LCSP members met in February to assess Community Safety Small Grant Scheme applications. For this, there is a fund of €50,000 available. In total, 18 projects were awarded grants ranging from €900 to €5,000. Projects have to be completed by 25 November 2024.
Kids Court
Six drivers came before a Kids Court was held at Ballinalee National School in February. Drivers caught speeding are brought before school children to answer questions about their driving, including 'Did you know there was a school on this road?' and 'Do you realise you could have killed one of us?' The involvement of children gives a powerful road safety message and educates both the children and drivers. This Kids Court class is also developing a safe speed poster which will be displayed in the Ballinalee area.
Information Day: Text Alert and See Something, Say Something
Over 100 people attended a Longford Text Alert and See Something, Say Something information day in Edgeworthstown Library. Longford Text Alert delivers free community alerts straight to your phone.
SEE Something, SAY Something is a free and anonymous way to report non-emergency anti-social and suspicious behaviour in Longford. Simply Text LONGFORD to 50555 with the location and details of the incident. However, please remember to call 999 or 112 in an emergency.
Property Marking
Property Marking is a way of deterring theft by engraving an identifier or EIRCODE on personal property. It also helps An Garda Siochana to reunite lost or stolen items with their owners
The machine can be used on many materials including wood, leather, plastic, carbon fibre, and metal, and many items such as bicycles, scooters, trailers, lawnmowers, and other valuable equipment and machinery.
Property marking training can be arranged, and then the local community can borrow a Longford LCSP machine free of charge to engrave items belonging to people in the community.
The property marking machine continues to be borrowed by groups regularly, with positive engagement when Longford LCSP has attended Farmers Marts in Ballymahon and Granard.
To organise a property marking event email propertymarking@longfordcoco.ie.
Community Safety Ambassador Programme
The Community Safety Ambassador Programme is a peer-to-peer information-sharing initiative, training volunteers to give community safety information to vulnerable or isolated people in their community. Meeting every two months, ambassadors are provided with information packs to give out. In turn, the ambassadors can raise any community safety issues or concerns shared with them by their community. The programme aims to recruit people from new and minority communities to help tackle any language or other barriers and bridge any gaps in engagement with all communities in Longford. A pilot training session with 10 ambassadors took place in March in Longford Garda Station. This work is done with help from An Garda Síochána and Age Friendly Longford.
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