CRIME levels throughout Limerick have dropped by 30 per cent in the last 12 months thanks to an initiative where gardai target the top ten criminals in the region, Limerick’s most senior garda has said.
Addressing a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee at City Hall recently, Limerick’s most senior garda said that despite the division losing more than 90 members since 2011, policing has had to become more effective in how it combats crime.
Targeting and monitoring the activities of criminals on bail, Chief Superintendent Dave Sheahan said that the result has been a 30 per cent decrease in crime at a divisional level in the last 12 months.
“I have been presenting at the JPC meetings since 2010 and this year, for the first time I am reporting the lowest levels of crime statistics from the division.”
“We have seen a serious decrease in the number of types of crimes with the exception of crimes against the person.
In 2015, there were 298 reported incidents of the unlawful taking of cars. This year, we have seen a large-scale drop to 148 incidents
Thefts from shops are showing a 10 per cent year on year decrease while thefts from cars have been reduced to 391 from 747 in 2015.
Throughout the four divisions, Chief Supt said that there was a 30 per cent reduction in the number of burglaries reported “which is contrary to the perception that crime levels are on the rise. In saying that, just one burglary is one too many but our actions are seeing results.”
How did An Garda Siochana get there?
“We are targeting those who are responsible for crime in Limerick. So we target recidivists and we pass no apology about that.
“One of our methods is that we are monitoring the bail conditions of a rolling top ten list of criminals. Any breaches of those bail conditions, then we will return to the courts and seek to get the criminals remanded.
“Once remanded, the criminal will fall out of the top ten and the next person moves up so we are able to target the people responsible.
Most recently, Chief Supt Sheahan said “we targeted a gang who were travelling throughout county Limerick carrying out burglaries and thefts, disrupted them and they are now in custody awaiting trial.
“This was done through the provisions of organised crime legislation”, he explained.
Separately, Gardai targeted certain individuals who were responsible for their own “crime waves and you could see the levels dropping month on month”.
Operation Disruption, the JPC was told, is targeted and totally focused on tackling those who are stealing cars and stealing from cars.
“There is a dedicated unit that starts at 4pm each day and works through to the middle of the night to disrupt their actions. Through that, we have identified the top ten criminals and actioned against them.
Criminal damage and public order offences saw a 23 per cent reduction while drug and offensive weapons incidents were largely unchanged.
The only statistic to show the same level or a slight increase on 2015, was in relation to assaults and crimes against the person.
59 per cent of assaults, both minor and serious, were committed by males under the age of 30 as Chief Supt Sheahan urged young people to use their head and think before using their fists.
