GARDAÍ in Limerick say they have employed resources to ‘reduce tensions’ in Ballinacurra Weston after separate incidents in which a man was shot with a shotgun and firearms were discharged in recent weeks.
Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Policing Sub-Committee of the Metropolitan District in City Hall, Superintendent Paul Reidy of Roxboro Garda Station outlined the actions Gardaí have taken locally to quell further violence in the Limerick suburb.
“There was shootings and the discharge of firearms. A considerable amount of work has gone into that and is continuing to go into it,” Superintendent Reidy told council members.
The superintendent described an incident, which occurred on January 13, in which a man was injured after receiving “a number of gunshots”.
“He is still in hospital and is recovering. However, there have been a number of arrests and a lot of searches have been conducted as a result of that, with a lot of seizures of items and evidence in respect of the investigation.”
Superintendent described the investigation as “very, very live”, adding that “there has been charges brought before the court with a particular individual”.
Firearms were fired in the area once again a few days after the January 13 shooting incident.
Superintendent Reidy revealed at the public meeting that this incident also resulted in a significant Garda operation.
“A number of searches were conducted, about eight in total, at different residences and locations throughout Ballinacurra Weston and further afield,” he said.
“Arrests were made and that’s the subject of a murder investigation as well.”
He added that “a number of items of evidence, and indeed drugs, were seized during the course of those searches”.
“We continue to put extra patrols up there. We don’t have them continuously all the time because the residents become immune to it. Whereas, we find if we do intermittent operations, intermittent checkpoints, when they are not expected, it keeps the situation calmer and there’s less tension in the area.
“We are trying always to reduce the tension between the groups in that particular area. We’ve had a lot of success but there are a couple of flashpoints up there and we are monitoring those.
“We are trying to do our best in respect of resources to enable the situation to remain calm,” the Roxboro superintendent said.
He told councillors that he was very conscious of tensions in the Ballinacurra Weston community and assured them that Gardaí are doing their “level best” to keep things calm and peaceful.
“We’ve put extra personnel in there. We’ve increased our community policing up to a sergeant and 10 guards, from six guards, so that is quite significant.”
