McDowell promises crime czar for Limerick housing estate

THE Government is to appoint a crime czar for the troubled Limerick housing estate of Moyross, with huge powers to tackle crime and social problems.

The news was revealed by Justice Minister Michael McDowell when he visited Moyross yesterday and met community leaders and senior garda officers.

Mr McDowell said: “Next week the Taoiseach and I will bring to Cabinet a proposal for the appointment of a figure of national stature whose function it will be to ensure that the elaborate set of initiatives which are at play in Moyross are co-ordinated and that obstacles are removed in relation to making progress in relation to all of the programmes ongoing there.

“Our feeling is this: that very considerable resources from within the community and from within the Government are available there.

“What is needed is that we ensure that obstacles which sometimes appear when a number of different agencies are working on the ground are swept aside and that we get the maximum impact from the resource that the community is putting in to help themselves and which the Government is putting in to help them have the maximum impact.”

Mr McDowell would not reveal the identity of the new Moyross supremo, but said they would have immediate access to Government departments and senior ministers. He also announced a widening of CCTV cover on Limerick streets to bring the number of cameras in use in the city centre and estates to 70.

The 35 CCTV cameras in Moyross will be increased with a €200,000 grant.

Mr McDowell said that from now on the Moyross CCTV system will be monitored from the control room at Henry Street garda headquarters as well as the local community centre to enable a quick garda response to street crime.

During his visit, he met Chief Supt Willie Keane, head of the Limerick garda division, and senior officers.