Garda chief vows to protect rural Mayo as crime rises

‘We will protect rural Ireland’ – Garda chief


Despite a rise in crime in Castlebar, a leading garda in the county vows to keep rural stations active

Anton McNulty

A SENIOR garda in Mayo has expressed concern at the steep rise in crime in the county and reiterated his belief that the manning of rural Garda stations is vital in the battle against crime.
In the last month, the number of burglaries in Castlebar has risen by 20 per cent, with a number of business premises on the outskirts of the town having been targeted. In January, there were 12 burglaries recorded in Castlebar. Just last week, a cashier in a convenience store on the Old Westport Road was threatened at knifepoint and forced to hand over a quantity of cash.
The crime rate figures for last year reveal just how steep the January rise in crime has been. During 2009, the monthly average for the county town was three to four; last December there was only one.
In addition to an increase in burglaries, the Gardaí are also now faced with the ongoing scourge of drug crime. Last weekend saw significant drug seizures, with up to €35,000 worth of cocaine discovered in a car en-route to Castlebar and €3,000 worth of ecstasy and cannabis found in an apartment in Claremorris.
Commenting on the burglary spate, Superintendent Willie Keavaney told The Mayo News that the majority of the incidents were petty crimes, with small amounts of cash taken. However, he said that the sudden rise was a cause for concern. He told a sitting of Castlebar District Court last week that the ‘influx of cocaine into Castlebar concerns me greatly’, but he does not believe the state of burglaries are drugs related.
“There is no doubt that there has been an increase in crime with burglaries in January alone rising by I’d say 20 per cent,“ said Supt Keavaney. “While we are starting from a low base, the rate of the rise in burglaries is a concern and we don’t want to see it. They seem to be happening in the same area close to each other, and we have organised an extra crew [of gardaí] to deal with the problem.
“We believe that this series of burglaries is being carried out by a young crew [looking] for petty cash and not a result of drug issues. However, €30,000 worth of cocaine was found in a car heading for Castlebar which was significant and a concern, but that was only one seizure – how many have gone through?”
The issue of crime in Mayo was raised by Fine Gael TD, John O’Mahony in the DΡil last week. He expressed concern at the number of rank-and-file gardaí who have retired and the shortage of recruits to replace them. He added that the number of gardaí in rural areas has fallen and lamented the number of unmanned rural Garda stations.
Supt Keavaney acknowledged that garda numbers were down in the county but stressed that the numbers had not fallen by a huge amount and that there had been recent promotions to the ranks of sergeant and inspector. Supt Keavaney added that, despite the rise in urban crime, it was important that there was still a strong garda presence in rural areas.
“We will continue to have gardaí in rural stations to provide a good service for as long as possible. It is important that gardaí are seen in the community and that they build relationships with the people, even if it is just to renew a gun licence or sign a passport form.”
Supt Keavaney pointed out that people living in rural areas get to know the gardaí who are stationed locally – a fact that encourages them to provide information to the Gardaí. This might not be the case if they had to travel to a central station in a town, where the gardaí might be strangers to them. Similarly, he said, gardaí stationed in towns might not get to know the people who live in outlying areas – a fact that could impact on the Gardaí’s ability to police rural communities. “Rural stations are vital,” he concluded.