There has been a significant drop in gangland crime.
New figures from the Irish Times show a decrease in guns seizures and planned shootings.
Members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit and Regional Armed Support Units taking part in a major emergency training exercise in October 2016. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo / Niall CarsonRegency Hotel Shooting
Gang crime here rose significantly in the aftermath of the Regency Hotel shooting.
In 2017 - for example Gardaí intervened 26 times in threat to life cases - meaning the stopped a gangland killing from taking place.
That dropped to 13 in 2018 and just three last year, according to figures obtained by the Irish Times.
Nine guns were seized last year, compared to 22 in 2018 and 29 in 2017.
It's thought high level organised gang crime is now being replaced by an evolving underworld scene which is operated by smaller and less organised groups.
Garda sources say a lot of crime gangs, which are operating now, are unorganised and smaller.
Crime Editor with The Irish Times, Conor Lally, says it's a big difference to the high level organised crime groups.
"Certainly it is a concern you've got relatively small, badly organised gangs out there, who've access to firearms and are willing to shoot people."
But Conor Lally has pointed out there's been a reduction in that kind, and other kinds, of gun crime recently.
"They're all way down across the board," he said.
