Focus on drugs continues for gardaí

The annual report for An Garda Siochána outlines achievements regarding crime prevention and detection, national security and day-to-day work in communities. Chief Superintendent John Kerin outlines to Carol Byrne how Clare fares

PROVIDING an overview of the work of gardaí in communities around Ireland, the annual report for 2009 details An Garda Síochána’s continued focus on the presence of drugs in society.
Launching the annual report this week, Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said, “Once again, the sustained and co-ordinated focus on drugs in our society by An Garda Síochána has yielded significant seizures and arrests by local and national units during 2009. In 2010, I am determined that gardaí working locally in our communities, in partnership with national units, will continue their efforts towards tackling the supply reduction side. We will protect the young and vulnerable and the community as a whole, from the effects of this reprehensible activity.”
Chief Superintendent John Kerin said a number of key initiatives are working well within County Clare. He firstly welcomed the measures taken against headshop substances.
“Personally, I’m delighted with the closure of the headshops in town. Some people won’t agree with me but certainly we found that headshops were contributing to crimes of violence being committed. For example, people that would normally have been passive, were becoming involved in extreme acts of violence. Apart from the legislation passed, the actions of the public here who made their feelings known had a very substantial role in closing the shops. I’ve nothing against the owners but the restrained actions of so many people certainly helped us and long-term, those actions will help the community. If the public put the same level of concern to ordinary drug dealers, then we’d be a much better place,” he said.
Figures relating to drug seizures in Clare show that in 2009, seizures of cannabis herb reached 161, cannabis resin was 104, there were 45 cocaine seizures and 31 for heroin.
“While there is a perception that the amounts of heroin seizures are huge, cannabis are still higher. However, heroin has deadlier effects and does lead to street crime because those who are addicted to it need to feed their habit much more so than the other categories. I have to say to that most of the main heroin dealers have been apprehended in the last year or so.”
He noted that gardaí have apprehended two people who are understood to be key heroin dealers, with charges likely to be brought against them in the near future.
Figures for 2010 show there were 44 seizures of drugs for sale or supply over the last five months, so he says the war on drugs is ongoing.
“The public are hugely important in that fight. They see what’s going on in the streets and I would appeal them to contact us and that could lead to saving some young person’s life by alerting us. We know a lot of what is going on but that chat with them might put the final pieces together in the jigsaw,” he outlined.
The annual report notes a national decrease in public order offences of 8.3% for 2009 and this is representative of the trend in Clare, according to Chief Supt Kerin. 
“Public order instances were down by 3% last year and this year are down by 13% across the county. However, the recession has a part to play in that. There are more people drinking at home and we are getting quite a lot of domestic call-outs, as well as to house parties, that are causing problems for neighbours,” he explained.
Mention is made by Commissioner Murphy in the report to the new CCTV system set up in Ennis in the last two years, which has seen the installation of 17 cameras at various points in the town. This piece of equipment is not only of high digital quality but is further enhanced by a facility that allows the cameras to pan 360 degrees and zoom capabilities with the high quality remaining intact.
Chief Supt Kerin said that since the camera’s introduction, it has had an impact on preventing matters escalating as the gardaí can see where trouble is brewing and prevent a possible breach of the peace.
It is also effective in not only catching criminals in the act but placing them in the vicinity of the crime scene.
“With the CCTV cameras, in instances where it doesn’t capture criminal damage or burglary, we have found that playing back the footage we can put individuals at the area shortly before and shortly after. We can pinpoint suspects by going through them, which is hugely beneficial. CCTV is helping in the reduction in shoplifters and most of the shoplifting cases are occurring in Ennis. The professional shoplifters are particularly conscious of these being on the streets. Nationally, the trends are that shoplifting has hugely increased in the recession and I think CCTV has helped considerably in tackling that, coupled with a garda presence on the streets.”
Another key policing initiative addressed by the garda commissioner is community policing.
“We in An Garda Síochána have maintained close relationships within the communities we serve over many years. The positive and meaningful partnerships which we foster with our community stakeholders are the lifeblood of effective policing in Ireland,” the commissioner stated.
Chief Supt Kerin has highlighted that the setting up and reinvigoration of community watch schemes across the county has been of significant benefit to the gardaí in the work they do but there are further schemes that will be and could be set up.
“In Clare, we have 34 community alert schemes, 35 neighbourhood watch schemes, three business watch and one hospital watch scheme. We also have garda schools programmes and we are looking at recommencing a coastal watch scheme in the county. Although there are a lot of schemes in Clare, not all are as vibrant as they should be. If communities can work with us, whether that is reporting unusual sightings, it does help in the prevention and detection of crime. It is beholden on everyone to look out for their neighbours and if everyone did that then it would be a safer place to live. There are a lot of new housing estates in the county and I would hope that people would kick-off schemes in these estates,” Chief Supt Kerin said.