More than 800 Wicklow people have already helped shape the county’s first community safety plan, with concerns ranging from antisocial behaviour and domestic violence, to farm and road safety.

The plan is being drafted by Wicklow’s new Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), who are preparing to roll out one of their first major initiatives, just nine months after forming.

Councillors were told at Wicklow County Council’s September meeting that a property marking machine was demonstrated at a training day in Laragh, attended by LCSP members, gardaí and local residents.

The machine marks property with both covert and overt identifiers, acting as a theft deterrent and helping gardaí return stolen items to their owners.

In her presentation to councillors, LCSP coordinator Trish Carmody said the LCSP hopes to work with town teams, the IFA and local gardaí to roll out the programme countywide, and is in the process of purchasing additional machines.

Another initiative is tractor safety training, which has attracted participants from Carlow, Wexford and Sligo, highlighting strong demand.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, the training has been complemented by Garda safety talks and has been “very positively received”.

Ms Carmody said the LCSP has funding to train up to 180 people and is delivering sessions in schools, including St Kevin’s Community College in Dunlavin.

The partnership also plans to work with national charity Psych Care Ireland to deliver a night‑life safety programme, after summer dates proved unworkable.

The new partnership formed on December 1, 2025 and held its inaugural meeting on December 4, chaired by Cllr Tom Fortune.

Since then, they have convened four full partnership meetings, alongside seven steering group meetings.

Four working groups have also been set up, covering domestic violence, roads and road safety, antisocial behaviour, and safety at home.

Ms Carmody explained that membership is formally appointed by the Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, with some changes since the partnership began and further nominations awaited from An Garda Síochána and other organisations.

“They do them in several tranches so it can take for them to be appointed,” she said, adding that working groups are designed to include external expertise, with no more than three LCSP members on each.

A major focus has been consultation for the community safety plan. Two detailed surveys, one for adults and one for young people, have gathered 520 and 300 responses respectively, with the surveys due to close in the coming weeks.

Six public consultations were held across the county, alongside targeted engagement with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), domestic violence groups, older persons, the travelling community, minority groups and youth organisations.

The LCSP also attended the Tinahely Show and Shelton Abbey to gather feedback. Ms Carmody noted that the online consultation hub received only two submissions, but said the overall engagement has been strong.

Looking ahead, Ms Carmody said priorities for the rest of 2026 include completing consultations, analysing feedback, and drafting the community safety plan.

The LCSP is mandated to have a draft by the end of October and a final version by the end of December, though Cllr Fortune noted this may slip into early 2027 due to delays in the Department of Justice’s own strategic planning.

A statutory closed meeting with all elected representatives will also be held before year-end.

Cllr Paul O’Brien said Cllr Fortune had “stepped up to the mark” and provided “really capable” leadership, adding that the LCSP offers a vital channel for communities to feel heard, especially in rural areas.

He highlighted the pressures facing gardaí and said the partnership helps ensure they receive both constructive feedback and recognition for their work.

Cllr Melanie Corrigan welcomed the tractor safety initiative and called for a public campaign on road safety around horses, citing a recent incident in her area.

Cllr Pat Mahon said feedback from young participants in Valleymount had been “very good”, while Cllr Warren O’Toole sought clarity on how property marking would be rolled out.

Cllr Lourda Scott raised questions about representation for disability, mental health and newer communities, and Ms Carmody confirmed that nominations are expected and that County Wicklow Partnership’s Deirdre Joyce provides a link to the Community Integration Forum.

Cllr Ned Whelan said the LCSP team had done some “tremendous work” and praised Cllr Fortune’s ability to “get things done”.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme