This article is from page 23 of the 2014-04-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 23 JPG
GARDA resources are being stretched to the limit trying to deal with the rise in burglaries in Ennis.
Yesterday’s meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee heard that 59 burglaries were recorded in Ennis for the first three months of the year. That is an increase of three burglaries on the same period in 2013.
Supt Derek Smart of Ennis Garda Station told the meeting burglaries are the area of most concern to gardaí.
He said a large number of Garda resources, including the establishment of crime checkpoints near Ennis, are being allocated to tackle the crime.
“Burglaries are taking up a lot of time and effort. People’s homes should be their castle. So a lot of my resources are stretched trying to tackle that and detect that crime,” he said.
“We’ve taken checkpoints and brought them back closer to Ennis town where the majority of our burglaries are being committed. There are a lot more crime checkpoints which are directed at trying to find the culprits,” added Supt Smart
In his report to the committee and members of the public, Supt Smart detailed crime figures for Ennis for the first three months of 2014.
He said there have been five robberies of persons in 2014 compared to one in the same period as last year.
A number of people are currently before the courts in relation to the allegations.
There were three incidents of criminal damage by fire in the first three months of 2014; 28 reported thefts and 26 thefts from mechanically propelled vehicles.
Supt Smart told the meeting there is an 81 per cent detection rate in thefts from persons.
Garda have investigated 13 reports of missing persons, conducted 50 drugs searches and 46 searches under warrant.
There have been 11 drink-driving detections compared to 12 for the same period in 2013.
Three people were detected on suspicion of drug driving in the first three months of the year. The meeting was attended by a large number of business people who expressed concern about the level of anti-social behaviour on the streets of Ennis.
A number of them highlighted incidents that occurred on St Patrick’s Day.
Supt Smart urged people in the town to contact them anytime an incident occurs.
In response to questions on the use of Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO), Supt Smart said very few of the orders have been issued in Clare.
On the prospect of increased Garda resources for Ennis, Supt Smart said the force in Clare has been hit hard by retirements in recent years. Committee member Michael Guilfoyle (Ind), quoted a recent comment by Chief Supt John Kerin who said 55 gardaí had retired from the force in Clare over the last few years.