National Rural Safety Forum launches National Community Engagement Week

Launching the National Community Engagement Week 2023, IFA Deputy President
and Co-Chair of the National Rural Safety Forum Brian Rushe said this week-long
series of national events is an important platform for communities to come together
and work to protect those most vulnerable.

It is vitally important that communities work together to serve the best interests of
people at risk and the National Community Engagement Week is the perfect platform
for this,” Brian Rushe said.

IFA are very pleased to be working with An Garda Síochána and members of the
National Rural Safety Forum on this great initiative and are urging all communities to
come out to support this programme,” he added.

An Garda Síochána Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman said National Community
Engagement week will provide an opportunity for people from all our communities to
meet with their local Gardaí.

“Members of An Garda Síochána will use this as an opportunity to meet informally
with local communities, listen to their concerns and discuss ways to work
collaboratively to reduce crime and fear of crime and offer crime prevention advice,”
Paula Hilman said.

“Engagement, partnership and problem solving with the communities we serve is the
cornerstone of our mission of keeping people safe. Events will take place nationwide
and I would encourage everyone to attend and take this opportunity to meet and chat
with their local Gardaí,” she added.

Chaired by the IFA and An Garda Síochána, and supported by the Department of
Justice, the Department of Rural and Community Development, Muintir na Tíre,
AgriKids, and a range of State agencies and representative groups, the Forum’s
focus on rural safety is laid out in the National Rural Safety Plan 2022-2024.

The purpose of the Forum is to develop a nationwide network for the distribution of
crime prevention advice, increase engagement within communities and prevent and
reduce opportunities for crime.

The series of events, organised by the National Rural Safety Forum, is an
opportunity for communities to get to know their local Gardaí and local community
representatives. All are welcome and details of the week’s events can be found here: https://www.garda.ie/garda/en/about-us/our-departments/office-of-corporate-communications/news-media/national-community-engagement-week-22nd-to-26th-of-may-2023.html