SOUTHSIDE gardai have strongly criticised the decision by Justice Minister Alan Shatter to close two local Garda stations as part of measures announced in last week’s budget.
Minister Shatter said both Stepaside and Kill O’The Grange would be among the 100 Garda stations nationwide that are closing as part of the Annual Policing Plan for 2013.
The closure of the two Southside bases, scheduled to take place next summer, means that the Dun Laoghaire Garda district will have lost three stations in total this year following the closure of Dalkey station in April.
Ultan Sherlock, a detective based at Stepaside Garda station, is an Executive Committee member of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and a Stepaside resident.
He said local gardai at both Kill O’The Grange and Stepaside stations are vehemently opposed to the closures.
“We have lost three stations now including Dalkey, Kill O’The Grange and Stepaside,
? he said.
“On behalf of the members here we are very annoyed at this decision and we fail to see the sense in it.
“In Stepaside there are six primary schools. It is a huge area and to be left with no station will leave people very vulnerable. I am a resident in the Stepaside area and a lot of people have already got on to me trying to understand why this has happened. In an area of 20,000 people the logic escapes us.
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Detective Sherlock believes it is likely that criminals will exploit the absence of a local Garda station in the area.
“The criminals won’t be too long copping on that there is no presence in the area,
? he added.
“And especially with easy access to the area through the transport infrastructure like the M50 and the Luas it will certainly create problems.
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Des Kennedy, who owns a grocery shop and runs the local post office in Stepaside Village, said he had been robbed four years ago while he was carrying the day’s takings from his shop.
He fears that he and other local residents and businesses could be targeted by criminals if the Garda station in the village is closed.
“I would be afraid because I have been robbed in the past and I was held up four years ago on my way home after closing the shop after 11pm at night,
? he said.
“They targeted me because they knew I was a businessman.
“I think the minister should be very aware given the growing population here that a police station certainly warrants being left open.
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Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Lab) has called on the minister to reverse the decision to close Stepaside station.
“You have a post office in Stepaside and 15 businesses,
? she pointed out.
“Then you have Sandyford Industrial Estate, Sandyford Village, Leopardstown Shopping Centre and Carrickmines Retail Park in between. There should be a local Garda station in the area, given the rural aspect of Stepaside.
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Cllr Victor Boyhan (Ind) said there was
“outrage
? locally following the announcement that Kill O’The Grange station would close. He has appealed to the Minister for Justice and Garda Commissioner Martin Callanan to establish local Garda units in Deansgrange, Dalkey and Stepaside to compensate for the station closures.
“Some 28 members of the gardai work out of Kill O’The Grange,
? he said.
“Will these Garda personnel remain policing locally?
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Minister Shatter said in a statement that the closure of Stepaside station would not result in a loss of policing to cover the area as 34 gardai currently based there will be primarily allocated to Dundrum Garda Station.
“Kill O’The Grange Garda station, which has 28 Garda members, will also close in 2013,
? he said.
“Again, the closure of this station will not see a loss of gardaà to the area. Garda members currently attached to this station will be primarily allocated to Dun Laoghaire Garda station.
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