Garda chief moves to reassure locals

THE Garda Superintendent in Dun Laoghaire has moved to reassure members of the public that the closure of one station and restrictions at two others will not reduce the efficiency of the force’s operations in the area.

Superintendent Martin Fitzgerald, who is the head of the Dun Laoghaire Garda district, has insisted that a combination of new work practices for officers and the lack of a requirement to staff closed Garda stations will help the gardai in their work.

The Dun Laoghaire Garda district includes the sub districts and stations of Dun Laoghaire, Cabinteely, Kill O’The Grange, Shankill and Dalkey.

Garda funding cutbacks announced by the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter in December involve the closure of Dalkey Garda station and the out of hours closure of both Cabinteely and Kill O’The Grange.

Superintendent Fitzgerald told Southside People last week that Dalkey station will close on June 30. In addition, he said that the operational hours at both Cabinteely and Kill O’The Grange stations will be reduced to between 7am and 9pm instead of the current 24-hour arrangement.

He said gardai were determined that the closure of Dalkey station in particular would not impact on the force’s ability to deliver its current level of frontline services in the area.

“We are really determined here that the key frontline services will not only be maintained but enhanced through greater visibility and policing with greater efficiency,

? he said.

The Superintendent said that from April 30 new Garda rosters will take effect and new work practices that have been ironed out by management would be implemented on the ground.

“Added to that as well we have a plan to provide the extra availability of people during those key demand hours. With the freeing up of people to man stations we will be able to give a more concentrated service and visibility using people on the beat.

?

Superintendent Fitzgerald noted there had been some speculation in Dalkey that the two community gardai are currently assigned to the area would be moved elsewhere but he said he was glad to report that they would remain in the area indefinitely.

Asked if the new arrangement would mean any cut in Garda numbers locally, he said:

“No, all the gardai have been subsumed into Dun Laoghaire and the other stations like Cabinteely.

“Dalkey is not being ignored. There will be patrol cars in the area. On the contrary, what I would argue is that there is no reason to believe that the response of gardai will be any less effective than it has been before.

?

In terms of crime statistics Superintendent Fitzgerald reported that certain categories of crime committed last year, including burglaries and assaults, had actually fallen year-on-year in the Dun Laoghaire area.

He pointed out that burglaries recorded in the Dun Laoghaire area last year had fallen by 14 per cent on 2010.

He also said that theft from shops in the area was down 29 per cent last year on 2010, assaults were down 37 per cent and serious assaults were down 38 per cent. The number of sexual offences recorded in the area increased slightly from two in 2010 to three last year.

Superintendent Fitzgerald pointed out that if members of the public in Dalkey needed to contact gardai in the area they are advised to call the main Dun Laoghaire number on 6665000 after June 30.

He said calls to the existing number for Dalkey station will be automatically transferred to Dun Laoghaire station for a certain period of time after the station closes.