Yesterday's drive by shooting in north Dublin has fuelled fresh calls for a hike in community garda numbers.
A young man was blasted twice in the leg by a gunman who jumped out of a silver Volkswagen Boro before shooting his victim in broad daylight.
The Gardai hunt gunman after young man blasted twice in drive-by shooting in Coolock at around 7:30pm yesterday. The injured man was taken to nearby Beaumont Hospital where he is recovering.
Local Labour councillor Alison Gilliland said the shooting highlighted the need for more local community Gardai and warned that a lack of resources was sending a message to that crime was acceptable.
Gardai hunt gunman after young man blasted twice in drive-by shooting in Coolock
She added: "For too long low level anti-social behaviour has gone un-responded to due to lack of local garda resources.
"This sends out the message that this behaviour is acceptable and allows many young people engaged in such behaviour to become involved in more serious behaviour.
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"Local residents become frustrated by the lack of response from local gardaí and stop reporting such incidences or giving information to gardai about such incidences.
"This vicious cycle leads to more aggressive antisocial behaviour, drugs crime and gun crime.
"Too often local residents live in fear that their children will either get seriously involved or seriously injured in criminal activities."
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Cllr Gilliland warned that while the victim of yesterday's shooting in the Priorswood area of Coolock was recovering, "the next victim may not be so lucky".
She also urged anyone with information to contact Coolock Garda Station "in the strictest confidence" on 01 666 4200.
