AS burglaries and thefts from rural homes continue to rise, community groups, local politicians and TDs are pressing Justice Minister Alan Shatter to announce a national strategy to deal with rural crime. Pallas Crime Prevention Project chairman David Thompson says that communities are setting up alert groups to become the “eyes of the gardai” in rural Ireland. “Fear is setting in and people are not getting the protection they need”, he said.
The former IFA chairman and community activist added that he contacted both Minister Shatter and the Taoiseach but was not entirely satisfied with the response as he believes the proposed cuts and station closures were seriously hampering rural policing.
“We need our garda stations, our local gardai, and we need our squad cars. The Government are taking away the resources and it is up to us to demand them back”, he explained.
The upsurge in rural crime was further highlighted in last week’s Limerick Post where details of up to a dozen burglaries and thefts from areas of Killaloe and Ballina were reported..
Limerick TD and Fianna Fail Justice spokesman Niall Collins said he would like to see the government recruitment embargo lifted and the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore next year.
Mr Collins’ comments came in support of Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan’s declaration that he would not like to see the force’s numbers drop below 13,000 nationally.
During a recent Oireachtas debate, Minister Shatter said that while figures from the Central Statistics Office showed that the overall number of crimes was falling, he was still concerned about the incidence of burglary, which has shown an increase in recent times.
He said he was pleased with the work of Operation Fiacla which is focused on identifying and targeting gangs involved in burglaries. These operations are “intelligence driven” and Minister Shatter said that more than 1,400 people were charged as part of the operation. This, he said, was a reflection of the very substantial efforts being made to tackle the problem.
Referring to the new “Home Safe Home” campaign Minister Shatter acknowledged thecollaborative effort being made by the Gardaí and local groups who provide crime prevention advice and assistance.”
Stating that he was aware of the deep distress that burglary and similar crimes can cause to householders in rural areas, he said it was the Government’s intention to ensure frontline services were maintained at the highest level possible through the most efficient use of resources.
However David Thompson says he is still appealing to the Government to give the necessary support and resources to rural communities to help them reduce rural crime in their areas.
