CCTV a welcome step in war on crime
The ICSA has welcomed the Government’s investment of €3m on rural CCTV cameras, but it also wants a tougher stance with criminals.
At a meeting with Minister for Justice and Equality Charles Flanagan, ICSA president Patrick Kent said rural people want more resources in community policing and stiffer sentences for repeat offenders. He also sought closer consultation between rural stakeholders, local authorities and the gardaí.
Mr Kent ICSA’s National Agricultural Crime Survey, undertaken in conjunction with WIT, found that 45% of agricultural crime goes unreported for a variety of reasons. These include little faith that the gardaí have resources to recover goods or catch the perpetrators and a sense the justice system is not penalising these criminals sufficiently.
Seamus Sherlock, ICSA rural development chair, said many rural people are living in fear in their own homes.
He said: “We need the local Garda to know the people, to know what’s going on and to be living close to the rural community. This is not necessarily about Garda stations; it is about every citizen in rural Ireland knowing their local guard and having a sense that the gardaí are never far away.”
ICSA is supportive of the CCTV initiative announced by Mr Flanagan which is making €3m available to help install CCTV cameras.
“Crime is costing farmers an average €4,328 and is adding to insurance costs for everybody. ICSA is urging community groups to apply for this funding. ICSA believes that ongoing state help with maintenance of cameras will also be necessary and outlined this to the minister.”
