Local shops play a pivotal role in communities and are hugely focused on community safety: RGDATA submission

Local shops play a pivotal role in communities and are hugely focused on community safety: RGDATA submission, RGDATA stated in its submission to the National Office for Community Safety, which is Developing the First National Strategy for Improving Community Safety.

RGDATA said “As the representative body for independent, family owned grocery and convenience stores across Ireland, RGDATA speaks for businesses that operate at the heart of towns, villages, and urban neighbourhoods. Our members are integral to
community life—providing essential services, local employment, social connection, and informal oversight of the areas in which they trade.

“The consultation paper correctly recognises that community safety cannot be delivered by An Garda Síochána alone and requires a strategic partnership approach across agencies, sectors, and communities. It also highlights that safety extends beyond the absence of crime to include people’s confidence, wellbeing, and quality of life.

RGDATA strongly supports this holistic approach and offers the following observations:

Issue 1 – Defining Community Safety
Community safety, from RGDATA’s perspective, encompasses both practical security measures and the broader sense of comfort and trust felt by community members. Independent retailers observe daily the two dimensions highlighted in the issue paper: the objective measures (e.g. crime levels, response times) and the subjective measures (e.g. how safe people feel at night, in public spaces, or at work). These are not always aligned.
RGDATA defines community safety as: “A community environment where people can live, work, shop, and socialise without fear, supported by strong local relationships, visible safety measures, and effective responses to crime
and antisocial behaviour.”

Local shops play a unique role in strengthening this definition of safety:
• They provide natural surveillance through constant footfall and visibility.
• They serve as informal hubs, where shopkeepers often notice emerging issues or vulnerable
individuals.
• They remain open during adverse events, offering reliability and stability.
• They act as neutral, accessible landmarks in rural and urban areas and create a pattern of footfall within communities which help to keep towns and villages vibrant and full of life, as opposed to deserted and derelict.

Issue 2 – Community-Grounded Knowledge
The issue paper’s recognition of the role of “individuals, families and community groups” is
essential. RGDATA emphasises that independent shops are integral community actors with deep local knowledge.
Examples of effective community safety initiatives involving RGDATA and its members include:
• Retailer–Garda engagement through local meetings, information-sharing, and joint responses to offending patterns.
• Community alert systems, where retailers contribute to text alert networks and encourage
reporting of suspicious activity.
• Partnerships with local schools and youth groups, reducing isolation and supporting positive engagement.
• Participation in community CCTV initiatives, including hosting equipment or co-funding
installations.

Issue 3 – Collaboration
RGDATA supports the consultation paper’s emphasis on coordinated, multi-agency collaboration.
Effective collaboration relies on:
• Dedicated Garda liaison officers for local business communities.
• Consistent community policing presence, which builds trust and encourages reporting.
• Formal structures such as community safety partnerships that include retailers on an equal
footing.
• Clear, practical protocols for information sharing.

Issue 4 – Measurement
RGDATA agrees that both felt safety and actual safety are important indicators and that they often diverge.
Key indicators for the retail sector include:
• Incidents of theft, assault, intimidation, harassment, and drug-related activity.
• Response times and follow-up on reported incidents.
• Staff perceptions of safety, especially among young workers and those opening stores early in the morning and closing stores at night.
• Quality of the local environment (lighting, cleanliness, CCTV coverage).

Issue 5 – Policy and Governance
RGDATA welcomes Government initiatives that support safer communities, including the
emerging Retail Crime Strategy. However, several policy gaps undermine safety for retailers, their staff and communities:
• Retail crime is rising and repeat offending is particularly acute.
• Youth anti-social behaviour is becoming increasingly threatening and aggressive and young
offenders believe they are invincible.
• Current supports for victims of commercial crime are limited.
• Local governance structures vary widely, and retailers are not consistently included.

Independent retailers are deeply embedded in communities and uniquely positioned to identify both emerging risks and opportunities for safety improvement. RGDATA strongly supports a National Strategy grounded in local experience, built on strong partnerships, and is responsive to both objective and subjective safety concerns.
RGDATA is happy to assist the National Office for Community Safety in the development and implementation of this first national strategy