Tag Archives: thefts

GRAVEYARDS in two locations in the county have had Garda patrols stepped up in response to a spate of thefts that has been going on since the start of the year, Clare’s Garda chief has said. Addressing last Monday’s meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran urged people to continue to report incidents and pledged that they would be fully investigated. Since January of this year, there has been a hike in incidents of theft and anti-social behaviour at Drumcliffe Cemetery in Ennis. There has also been an ongoing issue at the graveyard in Tulla, with a spate of thefts of grave ornaments and flowers, over the last nine months. The issue at Drumcliffe was raised by the Mayor of Clare, who voiced frustration with the perception that calls were not being logged. “Since January, I’ve been bringing this to the attention of the Gardaí and the local authority,” Councillor Mary Howard said. “I have found …

THERE has been an increase in quad bike thefts in the last few days, in particular in the greater Limerick area, IFA Rural Crime Prevention executive, Colin Connolly has revealed. He is urging farmers to be on alert and to ensure they take steps to secure their quads, lawnmowers and other valuables. Mr Connolly offered the following advice to keep quads secure: Park the quad out of sight, in an area that is not easily accessible. Where possible secure the quad inside a shed. A good idea is to chain the quad to a floor anchor inside the shed. A floor anchor can be installed very easily in any shed or yard. Make sure this shed is locked when not in use and alarm it, if possible. If the quad is outside, think about where you park it. Park it behind larger more difficult to move items, think bigger blocking method or consider a floor or ground anchor. Anything that …

THE theft of village signage has been described as “epidemic” by local Councillor Pat Hayes, who highlighted that signs have been stolen in four villages in East Clare. Councillor Hayes said Feakle, Caher, Flagmount and Killanena have had signage taken. He said some thefts have occurred in recent weeks, while others were some time ago. He said it is not the directional signage, which is usually the common problem, but in this case it is the larger signs for the villages themselves. “It seems to be specific to this side of the county. Directional signposts are also missing. The GAA one in Caher was taken down and a couple of business ones were taken as well. It seems to be an epidemic for the last while. I would very much be appealing to the public out there. There might be huge value in those signs but it is the communities that put them up and maintain them. They are part …

GARDAÍ in the county have noted a sizable spike in the theft of catalytic converters from cars, with five stolen at different locations in one day alone. Catalytic converters are a part on the exhaust system which helps reduce the pollutants in emissions. To have this item replaced costs in the region of €1,500 and gardaí are advising the public to take precautions where possible. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Joe Downey said, “There is an increase in these thefts and people need to be more alert. There were five catalytic converters stolen this past Tuesday, three in Shannon and two in Ennis”. He explained to steal these parts, the thief crawls under the vehicle and simply cuts it out. It only takes approximately two minutes. Sergeant Downey said those who have fallen victim to this crime will know, as when they start their car the exhaust system will be must noisier. “They cost €1,500 …

GARDAÍ are investigating a number of incidents of ­burglaries and thefts over the past two weeks and are warning people to be vigilant and to ensure their premises and property are secure as the long nights set in. A senior garda based in Killaloe warned “The long evenings are coming to an end now and as we get into September, October and November, crime does pick up. “I’m appealing to the public to pick up the phone to us if they see a car acting suspiciously. They should ring it in and try if they can at all to get some portion of the registration number. Sometimes this is all that is needed to break a case for us”. A pub in Kilmore was broken into between 1.15am on Tuesday, August 27 and 7.15am on Thursday, August 29, by forcing open the rear door. Two televisions, a black 19” and a black 32” and four bottles of spirits were stolen. …