THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS have called on the Government to legislate for “fair” stop and search powers to tackle violence on Dublin’s streets.

Publishing the party’s violence reduction policy, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, said the Government must ensure gardaí use stop and search powers fairly.

“That support for me can only come if there’s proper oversight mechanisms within there,” he said.

He said gardaí should have to document who they stop and search, including taking account of ethnic identifiers, as well as age, gender and justification for stopping them.

It comes after the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said he will strengthen knife crime laws, which will give greater power to gardaí to stop and search people suspected of carrying knives. 

O’Callaghan has called on Opposition parties to support the Garda Powers Bill, which will give gardaí more stop and search powers.

He said last week in the Dáil: “There must be a multifaceted response to knife crime [..]  part has to be powers for An Garda Síochána in order that gardaí can stop and search people so that they can seize knives from them if they suspect they are carrying knives.” 

O’Callaghan made the remarks in response to some recent knife attacks in Dublin, which resulted in serious injuries and a death.

Speaking today, Gannon said: “Last week, we talked about the fact that knife possession has increased over the last few years but we weren’t able to have any evidence in terms of how many people were stopped as we didn’t have enough evidence, for example, as there’s no comparison to it.

“So the first stop and search will actually have to be evidence-based and controlled. There’s oversight to it, and you’ll be able to justify who’s been stopped and for what reason, that makes everybody safer.”

Gannon also called for an increase in garda patrols in areas known to experience higher levels of violence, “focusing on deterrence and working with communities rather than punitive crackdowns.”

The TD said that “fair” stop and search powers are based on the oversight mechanism, and must come with independent oversight, data collection and monitoring to “prevent and respond to racial profiling.”

“Violence is not inevitable. It can’t be seen that way, and if the only solution is to say that we’ve already increased sentences for nonviolent possession, for example, that doesn’t actually do anything to reduce the harm caused by them. So we want to be part of a constructive conversation with the minister.”

“We’re all looking for the same outcome, which is a reduction of violence within our cities,” he added.

With additional reporting from PA and Muiris Ó Cearbhaill