Garda Chief confirms garda numbers in Mayo have reduced by 4.5 percent

The number of Gardaí stationed in Co Mayo has reduced by 4.5 percent with the Chief Superintendent for the county admitting that man power is an issue in the county.

Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon, who heads the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Garda Division, gave a presentation on Garda statistics to local councillors at yesterday's monthly meeting of Mayo County Council which was held in Bonniconlon.

During the meeting tributes were paid to Garda Kevin Flatley who was killed on duty while carrying out a checkpoint in north Dublin on Sunday afternoon. The married father of two was struck by a motorcycle near Lanestown at around 1pm.

Garda Flatley's father was a native of Clooncrim, Ballinlough which is close to the Mayo border in Co Roscommon and tributes were paid to him by a number of councillors.

Tributes

Chief Supt McMahon acknowledged the tributes to Garda Flatley and added that the incident brought home the dangers of being a member of An Garda Siochána.

During his presentation, Chief Supt McMahon who is stationed in Longford, explained that there has been a 4.5 percent reduction in the number of Gardaí stationed in Mayo but 25 members have been transferred into the county from other divisions.

Chief Supt McMahon explained that there was a high number of gardaí requesting to move to Mayo from other divisions and in order for that to happen they had to be replaced. He said it was an issue but he was hopeful there would be an increase in man power going to the county.

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The meeting heard that there was a 75 percent reduction in burglaries recorded in Mayo and Chief McMahon said this reduction was largely to do with a Garda operation which targeted travelling gangs and many of them have been arrested and awaiting justice.

Chief Supt McMahon also acknowledged that intimidation of families of people involved in drugs was an issue but in the last five years only eleven incidents of drug related intimidation were reported to Gardaí.

In order to make people confident to report these incidents to gardaí, he has appointed people in the county to a unit headed up by a Detective Inspector to deal with these cases. He encouraged parents in particular to come forward in confidence and report these cases of intimidation.

Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Loftus welcomed Chief Supt McMahon to the meeting and urged him to address the number of garda recruits being transferred to Mayo.

“The future of policing in Ireland is not working in rural areas and I have said it many times but Mayo Roscommon and Longford is too big a division. I hope the new Commissioner will bring back our new Chief Superintendent to Castlebar and it is something we have to fight for.

Not enough recruits

“We don't have enough gardaí coming to Mayo and I keep saying that we don't have enough recruits coming down to Mayo. You said 25 members have transferred down to the area but that is not good enough. We need at least the 100 that goes to Dublin, we get at least ten sent to Mayo. The number of people retiring versus the number of people joining the Force is frightening. The numbers are the crucial thing and we have to get more gardai down to the west of Ireland,” he said.

Ballinrobe-based councillor Michael Burke raised the question of anti-social behaviour in the former homeless shelter in the south Mayo town and felt that there is not enough co-operation between the local authority and the local gardaí as to who is arriving into the town.

Cllr Al McDonnell lamented the loss of the Joint Policing Committee saying that it was a forum which worked and where issues could be raised regularly with Gardaí.

Chief Supt McMahon thanked the councillors for their contributions and questions and while adding there were a number of issues which need addressing, he pointed out that Mayo is one of the safest counties in Ireland and Ireland remains one of the safest countries in Europe.