Senator calls for reserve force to back gardaí
The Newcastle West, Co Limerick-based senator said a garda reserve was needed to support the gardaí, particularly in rural areas where he said many people keep loaded shotguns under the bed at night for protection.
“Gangs are coming out into rural Limerick from the city late at night,” he said. “There are also non-nationals involved in a lot of crime in rural Co Limerick. There is a real fear in the community.”
Mr Finucane said he would not be surprised if there were unlicensed shotguns in rural communities which people have acquired for their own protection.
“With more crime being waged against rural communities, there will be an inevitable tendency to have the gun under the bed,” said Mr Finucane.
He said Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert schemes have been successful and these could form the basis for a new garda reserve. He felt the Limerick garda division would be ideal for a police reserve pilot scheme, as it covered city and rural areas.
“In the Fianna Fáil/PD programme for Government in 2002, it stated we should have a society where people can feel safe in their businesses and their homes.
“To succeed, the Government will have to think along the lines of a garda reserve. It is worth pursuing to put more people on the ground. The minister has to come forward with innovative proposals if the Government is to achieve what they said they would,” Mr Finucane said.
He said the Government had promised community wardens to relieve gardaí.
“Nothing has been done. There was also a proposal by the Government to hand over traffic management to the local authorities. The new recruitment campaign for an additional 2,000 gardaí is very welcome. But it is an admission by the Government that we do not have enough gardaí,” he said.
Mr Finucane added that the FCA and Slua Muiri have proven effective backups for the army and navy.
