Criminals use Broadford village as rat run

CRIMINALS are travelling through Broadford as a shortcut between Limerick City and Galway, residents supporting the retention of the local garda station have claimed.
Communities in the area breathed a collective sigh of relief this week after one of the main local garda stations escaped Government cutbacks.
Fears were expressed last week by Councillor Cathal Crowe that Broadford could be included in the threatened rural garda station closures.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter has refused to rule out the possibility of closing down Broadford Garda Station and other stations in the county before the Garda Commissioner’s Draft 2012 Policing Plan is finalised.
However, it seems Broadford has at the very least gained a reprieve from closure and campaigners are hopeful its status should be secure for the near future after it was excluded from a list of 31 rural stations throughout the country facing closure.
This decision was welcomed by Broadford Community Alert chairman, Michael McInerney, who claimed the village is being used as a shortcut by criminals travelling from Limerick to Galway.
Considering Broadford Garda Station was completely refurbished in 2010, Mr McInerney stressed it would make no sense to close it down. “It costs about €2,500 to keep a garda station open during the year. I don’t think Broadford Garda Station will need any substantial work to be carried out over the next 10 years.
“We will fight to keep our garda station open and to ensure Garda Keane, who is a young man, is kept on in the station. The catchment area for Broadford Garda Station is huge.
“Broadford is being used as a rat run by criminals travelling from Limerick to Galway, so we need a local garda station to keep them at bay. If you don’t have a local garda based in a local station, it is very difficult to tackle this type of crime.
“The local community alert committee will keep monitoring the situation to ensure there is no attempt made to close Broadford Garda Station,” he said.
The decision to keep the station open was also welcomed by Councillor Joe Cooney, who criticised recent “scaremongering” about its possible closure.
Councillor Cooney, who organised a meeting in Broadford Community Hall on Friday night, said public representatives had received assurances Broadford Garda Station would not be affected by the nationwide closures.
He pointed out Broadford is situated in a very strategic location in the middle of the Killaloe district and isn’t too near other neighbouring stations in Scariff or Ardnacrusha.
“Broadford Garda Station serves a large rural area and it is vital it remains open. A lot of anxiety and concern was created last week around the area, particularly among the elderly, concerning its possible closure.
“This type of ‘scaremongering’ before the true facts became known upset a lot of local people. I am well aware of the financial difficulties facing the country. However, we still have to retain our rural garda stations,” he said.
He said when the local post office was subjected to an armed robbery in 2009, Garda Pat Keane, who was based in the locality, used his considerable local knowledge to help solve the crime.
Councillor Crowe requested Clare County Council to seek immediate clarification from Minister Shatter about the future status of Broadford Garda Station at a recent meeting of the Killaloe Electoral Area.
“News that the station will remain open is very positive but the disquiet in the community over the past fortnight should serve to caution public representatives from the Government parties. East Clare people will not tolerate the closure of rural garda stations,” he said.
Serving a large area of East Clare including the communities of Kilmore, Truagh, Oatfield, Ballyquin, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Kilbane and Broadford village, it currently operates on a part-time basis and round-the-clock coverage for this area is given by gardaí stationed in Killaloe. Up until 1993, the station had a sergeant and garda, until a staffing reduction removed the sergeant. In 2009, it was proposed to post a second guard at the station but this never materialised.