New Garda Superintendent for Trim focused on community policing

A MAJOR emphasis on community policing can be expected in Trim thanks to the new Garda Superintendent, Yvonne Murphy.
Supt Murphy has a strong interest in new and innovative ways of community policing and that will be very much reflected in her approach in Trim.
“Nothing can compare to a garda on the beat, walking the street and being able to stop and talk to them,” she says.
“In rural areas, the community garda is very much part of the community.”
Supt Murphy is originally from Dublin and is a member of the Garda Siochana since 1998, having graduated from the Garda College with the Gary Sheehan medal.
Before pursing a policing career, she trained as a nurse in the Beaumont Hospital and then took up a job as staff nurse there.
However, she was always drawn to policing and joined the Gardai with her brother, Paul on the same day. He is now a Detective Sergeant in Pearse Street.
“My father and uncle were both gardai and my brother was going on to be a garda, so we joined together”
Since joining, Supt Murphy has served in the Dublin Metropolitan and Louth areas, and Trim has been her first posting in Meath.
“It is a beautiful part of the country, the people are lovely, there is a great community spirit,” she says.
She has worked in Dublin's inner city, in Garda Headquarters, as a community Sergeant in Ballymun and as an inspector in Dundalk.
She was Director of the Juvenile Diversion Programme, before being posted to Trim.
Her interest in community policing places a specific emphasis on youth and she has travelled to the middle east to explore collaborative police building and to study examples of communities emerging from situations of conflict.
She is a highly qualified garda holding an honours law degree, a BSc in Management and Law and a Certificate in the Fundamentals of Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse.
Supt Murphy is a professional Fellow of Boston College, having completed a programme on the 'Rule of Law in Ireland and Northern Ireland' and was deeply involved in the Communities and Policing in Transition, Transitional Leader and Future Generations Programmes, targeting young people and addressing key issues such as cultural perceptions, conflict resolution, sectarianism and racism.
Supt Murphy recently completed the Criminal Justice System Collaborative Leadership Programme with the IPA.
The Trim District has had great news recently as it has been designated a training station, which means there will be two new recruits coming to the town from Garda College in January.
“This is fantastic news for Trim. Young members coming in increase the feet on the street and it is a great for morale, it gives a good boost to the station.”
She expects to see even more new recruits later next year.
Community policing is a priority and she plans to have gardai out in places like Ballivor, Enfield and Longwood.
“We have great community gardai,” she says.
One recent innovation is Business Watch, which sees businesses who want to participate coming together with bi-annual meetings and an alert system, which is already up and running.
“I have a sergeant detailed to that portfolio,” she says.
Supt Murphy's background is in community policing and it is something she is passionate about, and in particular, working with young people,
“There is so much gardai can do with young people - going into the schools, working with them, getting involved in youth projects,” she says.
She points out that working with the elderly and the vulnerable in the community is also very important.
Her conflict resolution experience is also something that is extremely useful in any community.
“The smallest issue, something you or I would think is completely irrelevant can escalate and cause huge disruption to a neighbourhood or community,” she says.
Supt Murphy is looking forward to the challenges ahead and is delighted to be working with the community of the Trim Garda District. “It is a fantastic place to police,” she says.

A new superintendent has not yet been appointed to the Navan District two months after the retirement of Michael Devine but an announcement on his successor is expected before Christmas.
Chief Superintendent of the Meath Garda Division Fergus Healy said they are expecting it to happen before Christmas and explained the decision is at the behest of the Policing Authority.
An existing panel is in place from which a number of promotions are expected to be announced and assigned stations in the coming weeks. 
Superintendent Michael Devine retired in October after 13 years as superintendent of the Navan Garda District, which is the headquarters of the Meath Garda District.