Cllrs Paul O’Brien & Shay Cullen met with Sergeant Paul Daly, the crime prevention officer in An Garda Siochana at County Buildings on Monday to discuss crime prevention & the recent spate of cars being broken into up and around the Sally Gap.
Cllr Cullen stated that he was taken aback by the recent spate of cars been broken into & urged owners to be more mindful about leaving their processions out in plain slight for these wannabe thief’s.
“Sometimes when visiting the area visitors can get distracted by the beautiful scenery & wander off to take some photos, while forgetting to put their valuables away, which unfortunately can lead to them being stolen”, stated Cllr Cullen.
Cllr O’Brien said that this meeting was important but that it was only the first step in dealing with this serious issue. We need to get the message out there, that there are people intent on causing criminal damage & we shouldn’t be making it easy for them. We all know crime is a major issue whether it’s up in the Sally Gap or in our Towns & Villages and we must all work together to combat this threat.
Cllr O’Brien went onto say that both he & Cllr Cullen agree that better signage in the area is a must and if necessary CCTV as well. We understand that the Gardai can’t be everywhere at once and they must utilize their resources as best they can. We all know how stretched the Gardai’s resources are and if we as Councillors can assist them in preventing crime we will.
Both Councillors confirmed that the next step is to duscuss the matter at the Joint Policing Conmittee next month, of which both are members of and to devise a strategy going forward which will include an awareness campaign.
They conclued by wishing everyone a safe & happy Christmas.
