Extra armed patrols after shootings

EXTRA armed and uniformed patrols have been deployed in Limerick in a bid to tackle the recent upsurge in shootings in the city.

The head of the Limerick Garda Chief Supt Willie Keane said the trend in Limerick to use guns in disputes in certain parts of the city was totally unacceptable.

These disputes were not connected to the major feud involving the three main crime gangs in the city.

Chief Supt Keane said he has deployed extra armed and uniformed patrols to tackle the recent shootings. These patrols are concentrated on a number of large council estates in the north and south sides of the city.

A man survived shotgun wounds to the face and chest in the most recent attack which happened in the early hours of Monday in Ballinacurra Weston.

“Any time a firearm is used, it is of major concern to us. It has to be because there is the potential for fatalities. These incidents have arisen from disputes among certain people from certain families. That seems to be a current trend and there has been a trend here,” Chief Supt Keane said.

At least five people have been injured in four separate shooting incidents in the city since the start of the month. Chief Supt Keane maintained that these gun disputes are not feud related.

“These are disputes between people and unfortunately they tend to resolve these by use of the shotgun. It is very prevalent and totally unacceptable. There are certain parts of Dublin where similar incidents are happening, but certainly it is becoming more and more prevalent here in Limerick.

“We have had shots fired through doors and windows without injury but in two incidents at the weekend two people were injured,” he added.

He said he had now stepped up patrols to deal with the shooting spree.

“We take it very seriously. There are unlicensed firearms out there in the hands of criminals who are prepared to use them, and we have increased and more structured patrols to try and deal with what has happened,” Chief Supt Keane said.

He said the holders of licensed shotguns must take security of their firearms more seriously.

“Unfortunately a lot of these firearms which are stolen are used in these shooting incidents. There is a need for people to properly secure firearms,” he said.

He felt that criminals still find it “all too easy” to steal shotguns. There had been cases where firearms were stolen from houses which were still in the course of construction or out of cars and vans.

In one theft, four shotguns were stolen from the one house - a haul he described as “a small arsenal”.