More than 100 gardaí are now patrolling Dublin city centre on weekend evenings as part of a high visibility policing operation to combat concerns about safety and anti-social behaviour.
Operation Citizen began two weeks ago on 22 October as nightclubs and late clubs reopened.
Gardaí say crime trends have reduced and there has been an increase in arrests and prosecutions as a result of the extra garda patrols.
Assistant Commissioner for the Dublin Region Ann Marie Cagney said the operation is in response to calls in recent months from businesses, residents and garda teams in the city centre for a greater garda presence because they had a sense they felt unsafe.
She said the operation was focused on areas where there are pockets of anti-social behaviour, areas where people like to congregate and areas where there is a high footfall.
AC Cagney said there are dedicated units policing areas such as the boardwalk and the quays "full time" and that there was the ability to respond to activities in other areas of the city centre.
She said that is about 30% more gardaí "in a high visibility presence" on the city centre streets now than there was before the pandemic in the Dublin north and south central divisions, with both uniformed and plain clothes gardaí forming part of the operation.
She said while the focus is on the weekends, there is a garda presence throughout the week.
"This is a means of reassuring people that our city is very safe and we're putting those supports in place so that they can enjoy it."
AC Cagney also said that gardaí are investigating and taking seriously a number of reports of people being spiked with drugs via injections but that they are awaiting toxicology results in relation to these incidents.
Businesses in the city centre say the operation is making a difference.
Hugh Hourican, owner of the Boar's Head on Dublin's Capel Street, said it is making the job of publicans in the city centre easier.
"It has been great. It has been making our job a lot more easier. People see the gardaí on the street now so it's leaving it a lot safer here for everyone in Dublin city centre, so we're delighted with it"."
CSO figures
In response to today's CSO figures that show Dublin has the highest number of crimes but the lowest detection rates, Assistant Commissioner Cagney said she hopes the situation would improve because of a regional detection plan which is now in place.
She said the plan would give gardaí a greater ability to improve detection rates in both lower crimes and serious and organised crimes.
