This article is from page 12 of the 2014-02-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE number of serious drug offenses in Clare increased by almost 70 per cent 2013 as Gardaí crack down on dealers in the county.
Figures release by Clare Gardaí last night reveal a dramatic increase in Section 15 drug offenses last year, which deals with the sale and supply of illegal drugs. There was also a sizable increase in both minor, Section 3, drug offenses in Clare as an increase in the number of drug driving offenses.
There was a total of 74 Section 15 offenses in the county last year, an increase of 30 offenses or 68.18 per cent on 2013. These figures do not include a major crackdown on cannabis grow houses conducted by local Gardaí in January of 2014, with more than six grow houses in the county being raided during this period.
Indeed, according to Superintendent Derek Smart, the public has played a role in the increased detection of serious drug offenses, with landowners reporting unusual activity in rented or abandoned rural houses.
“It is thanks to the public that a number of these seizures took place. We put the word out through the media and it was thanks to information received from the general public that we were able to make some of those recent seizures,” said Supt Smart.
Drug driving offenses increase by 62.5 per cent in Clare last year, with 13 offenses in total, rising from eight in 2012. There was also a sizable in- crease in Section 3, drug possession offenses last year with 200 incidents in total, up from 154 incidents or a 29.87 per cent year on year increase.
East Clare Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) urged members of the public in rural parts of the county to report anything suspicious taking place in isolated buildings.
“I would like to compliment them [the Gardaí] on the number of cannabis grow houses which have been tackled around the county,” he said.
“With the number of isolated houses that we have around the community I think it is important to get the message out to people that people need to look in on these houses.”
It was also confirmed yesterday that were 53 behavioral warnings or ASBOs issued by the Clare Gardaí in 2013.