Questions raised about text alert system

Neighbourhood Watch disappointed with lack of garda text messages


Anton McNulty

THE Chairperson of Westport Neighbourhood Watch has expressed his disappointment in the number of neighbourhood watch text messages sent by gardaí and fears the community are losing confidence in the system.
A new neighbourhood watch text system was put in place in 2013 to cover the greater Westport area with text messages sent to up to 4,000 people by An Garda SiochΡna to inform the public of an instances of any suspicious activity.
However, despite of a high number of burglaries and attempted burglaries in the Westport area in the last month, the last text message sent by gardaí was on February 23. That text message informed the public of reported break-ins and to report suspicious activity to Westport Garda Station.
A number of people contacted The Mayo News complaining about the system and in response Joe Gibbons, Chairperson of the Westport Neighbourhod Watch said that he was disappointed with the lack of text messages sent by the gardaí. He said they set up the system at the behest of the Gardaí who he said were responsible for sending out the text messages.
Mr Gibbons said himself along with the Secretary, Joan Jennings, and other administrators, were coming under pressure as to why there was a lack of text messages especially with the high number of burglaries and were losing confidence in the system.
“We set up this system to how the gardaí wanted it and spent two and a half years setting it up and have collected 4,000 numbers which are on a database. We had seven burglaries or attempted burglaries in the Aughagower area in March and four in Kingshill and no text messages were sent out. Now we are getting it in the neck from people who want to why we’re not sending out text messages which we are not responsible for. It is not our job to send out the text messages, that is the job of the gardaí,” he said.
One person who was a victim of an attempted burglary in the Lankill area of Westport, and did not wish to be named told The Mayo News that there have been a number of incidents in his area. He was critical of the lack of messages and felt they would have been on alert if they had received text messages.
“If there was a break in and we got a text message we would be alert at least and keep an eye out for anything suspicious in the area. We can take the numbers of car and maybe it will assist the gardaí. That what it is supposed to be all about and set up to do. It is no good receiving a text message two weeks later,” he said.
Due to the local concern about the recent break-ins Mr Gibbons said Joan Jennings sent out the last two text messages himself but felt it was not their job to do so. He was due to meet with Gardaí in Westport yesterday afternoon in an attempt to rectify the problems in sending out the messages.
Inspector Mandy Gaynor of Westport Garda Station said she appreciated the concerns of the public but stressed the text alert system was not a news bulletin about burglaries and they needed specific details before sending out the messages.
“It is not a news bulletin, we only send out alerts if we have specific information on a vehicle which we want the public to keep an eye on. If we don’t have have the specific information we can’t send out the messages. If we have specific information on vehicles we will send out the message but unfortunately we don’t always have,” she said.