Laois community policing meeting to be open to public for first time

The Laois LCSP has invited locals to attend their first public meeting

Published 18th Aug 2026, 12:30 BST Laois senior Gardaí and Laois County Council representatives and staff with some of the members of the Laois Local Community Safety Partnership committee. Photo: Paul Dargan. The Laois LCSP has invited locals to attend their first public meeting Sign up to our Laois Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Laois Live within your account.

Members of the public have been invited to attend the next meeting of the Laois Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP).

The LCSP was established in 2025 and held its first meeting in January of this year. The LCSP meets six times a year to talk to senior Gardaí about crime and security issues in Laois.

The function of the group is to provide a forum where communities can voice their concerns around local safety issues.

This initiative was rolled out across Ireland as a way of replacing the previous Joint Policing Committees. The new model aims to create a more inclusive and community-driven approach to policing.

The forum is composed of government agencies, local services, voluntary organisations, councillors, and community members.

Unlike the Joint Policing Committee , the LCSP does not include TDs and local media is also excluded. The LCSP meets in private except for one meeting a year, which has now been announced to take place on September 8.

This has invited a lot of criticism of the new group, with all three of Laois’ TDs opposing the structuring of the LCSP.

Popular Laois sauna next to Electric Picnic closed to public during festival The Vice Chair of Laois LCSP, Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley , also voiced her concerns with the exclusion of local media and TDs.

Media and members of the public are invited to attend the forthcoming meeting at 11am on Tuesday, September 8 at the Laois County Council Chamber in Portlaoise.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the work of Laois LCSP and to hear updates on community safety initiatives across the county.

A dedicated agenda item will be included to address matters of concern or interest raised by members of the public.

People are asked to submit any questions they have in advance of the meeting. These can be submitted by email to [email protected] . The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday, August 28.

Speaking ahead of the public meeting, Vice Chairperson of Laois LCSP, Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, said: “We encourage anyone with an interest in community safety in County Laois to use this opportunity to attend and engage with the Partnership.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to respond to queries from the public and provide an update on the work being done within the Partnership which brings together organisations and individuals from across various sectors in the county that are dedicated to improving community safety in our communities.”

The group is also encouraging members of the public to complete its Laois Community Safety Survey. They said that survey responses will inform the priorities, actions, and long-term vision for community safety across Laois.