This article is from page 4 of the 2012-08-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
AN ENNIS resident who has been a victim of recent anti-social behaviour says he will drive to the office of the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, and complain to him in person if action is not taken to improve the service being offered to the public by gardaí in Clare.
The Glenina resident, who asked not to be identified, says he is only raising the issue with Minister Shat- ter in the hope that it will spark a change in the way anti-social, violent and intimidating behaviour is treated by the gardaí.
“I don’t have anything against any garda, but I think the people have just lost faith in them.
“I know their resources have been stretched but that makes it all the more important to engage with the local people,” he said.
“All I want is for this to spark a change. It is no good for the gardaí to sit there and wait for the people to come to them – they have to part of some sort of community approach to solving this problem.
“Until they do that, nothing is going to change – it will only get worse. When I was at school, everyone knew the local policeman.
“He was part of the community. It is not about driving up and down the Gort Road. It is about getting out of the car and actually talking to people. It is an old fashioned idea but it will work. What is happening in Ennis is bad but it is nothing compared to situations which have happening in other places.
“So it can be fixed. But if something is not put in place to fix this then it will get worse.
“We cannot bury our heads in the sand any longer. I’m not interested in Dublin or Limerick, if something is not done in County Clare soon then it will only get worse.
“If I don’t get a reply from Alan Shatter I will get into the car and go and visit him in his constituency office,” he added.