Garda chief defends policing strategy

HEAD of the Clare Garda Division, Chief Superintendent John Kerin, has delivered a broadside to MEP Jim Higgins over his assertion that a lack of a garda presence on Clare roads has resulted in more people being involved in fatal traffic incidents.
Two people have lost their lives on Clare roads in the first six months of the year, double the number of deaths compared to the same period last year.

This prompted MEP for Ireland North West, Mr Higgins to declare, “I want to see visible traffic units mounted more often in the county”.

His comment has provoked a staunch defence by Chief Supt Kerin of their policing strategy. “Clare has the highest level of road traffic enforcement in the country as borne out by CSO statistics,” he said.

He also criticised Mr Higgins for not giving credit to the gardaí for their role in enforcement.

“I am very disappointed that An Garda Síochána seems to be getting no credit for the continuous low traffic fatality rates in Clare and countrywide. I find this difficult to comprehend.”

Mr Higgins, who is also Ireland’s member of the European Parliament Transport Committee said, “I am concerned that the lack of a garda presence on our roads is resulting in more people losing their lives in 2013 so far. I want to see this trend reversed.

“Clare was doing so well, with no deaths recorded in the first four months. I want to see this latest trend stopped and visible traffic units mounted more often in the county,” he added.

Chief Supt Kerin said he was “disappointed” with Mr Higgins’ comments.

“One of the fatal accidents will, in all likelihood, be declassified as a fatal road traffic accident when the pathologist’s report is available. We understand one of the accidents resulted from a medical condition,” Chief Supt Kerin said.

He also highlighted that for the first four months of 2013, all road traffic accidents in the county were down – material injury accidents were down by two, non serious injury accidents were down by eight and serious injury accidents were two less on last year.

He also pointed out that detections for driving while over the legal limit of alcohol are down by 10 but there was a rise of two, from three incidents to five, for drug-driving in the same quarter.