Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD today attended the annual Cross Border Conference on Organised Crime, which was also attended by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Jon Boutcher. The conference aims to develop the existing strong ties between law enforcement agencies North and South of the border as they tackle organised crime. It also provides an opportunity for all involved to discuss the changing criminal landscape and develop a shared understanding of the threats.
Speaking today at the conference, held at the Farnham Estate in Co Cavan, the Minister thanked delegates for their commitment to working collaboratively to keep communities safe. Minister McEntee said; "North-South cooperation in policing and criminal justice is a significant priority for the Irish Government. Crime of course does not respect borders and it is essential that we continue to broaden and deepen the relationships to help us prevent this criminal activity.
"An Garda Síochána, the PSNI, and the various agencies represented around the table today, have built excellent working relationships and strong levels of cooperation over many years. This conference is a valuable opportunity to exchange learnings and devise shared solutions to shared challenges, to tackle serious crime and improve community safety north and south. Joint action continues to produce successful outcomes on an operational level and it sends a strong message to criminals that they will not evade justice."
The overall theme of this year's conference is 'Current Trends and Emerging Risks'. Presentations will be delivered on topics including Transnational Crime and its impact in an Irish context; Human Trafficking and Immigration and emerging drug trends on the island of Ireland.
