This article is from page 4 of the 2011-12-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
BUSINESSES have been urged to take appropriate security measures at Christmas to prevent instances of “opportunistic” crime.
Senior gardaí met with local businesspeople in Ennis on Thursday night to promote greater awareness of crime prevention at an event organised by the local chamber of commerce. Gardaí also outlined their plans for dealing with crime over the festive period and warned business people to remain vigilant of counterfeit or “dud” money.
Asked about specific aspects of crime, Sgt Paul Slattery told the meeting at the Rowan Tree Hostel that there have been instances of “travelling crime gangs” coming to Ennis. However he added that gardaí haven’t encountered much of that activity lately.
In a presentation, Sgt Slattery urged business people in Ennis to take security of their premises and assets seriously. He said appropriate measures helped to protect staff, reduce losses and avoid the risk of increased insurance premiums.
Sgt Slattery told the meeting that “opportunism” was one of the most common factors in all crimes in Ennis. He said thieves are deterred by little money being readily available on premises. He explained that criminals look for premises with poor security measures in place and where there is a lax attitude to security.
Sgt Slattery recalled how in one burglary, thieves were granted easy access to a night’s takings after a clearly labelled key was left by the business owner beside the safe.
Practical security steps that can be taken, Sgt Slattery explained, include: not leaving large sums of cash in tills; training staff in security procedures; maintaining safe keys under dual control and varying the times when cash is transferred to the safe.
Emphasising the importance of CCTV, Sgt Slattery said cameras should be linked to a lighting system. Supt Peter Duff said given the low level of burglaries in Clare, CCTV enabled gardaí to rule in and rule out suspects.
Supt Duff said fully functional and properly managed CCTV cameras often play an essential in Garda investigations. He told the meeting that footage from Garda CCTV combined with that from cameras outside premises can be used to track a suspect’s movements.
He said that 90 per cent of crime in Ennis is “opportunist” and that very few break-ins are linked to organised crime.
President of Ennis Chamber and local businessman, John Dillane, said light is the “greatest deterrent” to criminals.
In relation to ‘beat on the street’ activities over Christmas, Supt Duff told the meeting that Garda resourc es would be concentrated in maintaining a visible prescence on Ennis’ streets.