Number of community gardaí in Cork to increase

THE number of community gardaí is to be significantly increased in Co Cork and people living in rural areas will have a greater say about when their local Garda stations should be open.

Two senior gardaí have revealed they are planning a number of initiatives designed to lead to greater co-operation between the force and communities, especially those in isolated areas.

It will be a comfort torural householders in Cork who only a few weeks ago believed their local Garda stations were to be axed by the Minister for Justice, following the recommendations of the McCarthy report.

Chief Superintendent Kieran McGann, who oversees policing in north and east Cork, told public representatives at a meeting in County Hall yesterday that the latest comments from Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern indicated that the Government wouldn’t close 350 rural Garda stations nationwide, which the McCarthy report had stated would save the state€1 million.

The minister said he could find savings elsewhere in the Garda budget.

“I don’t think even this Government is naive enough to close rural Garda stations now. Community gardaí used to be the poor relations in the force. This is a step in the right direction,” Cllr Gerard Murphy (FG) said.

Chief Supt McGann said he would be creating six additional full-time community gardaí and would ensure that additional Garda community-liaison officers were employed on each shift in each of the garda districts under his control in north and east Cork.

He said he hoped to introduce this new service from November 16.

Chief Supt Michael Finn said he would be following a similar pattern in West Cork, but added that it was likely the start-up date for the new service there would be slightly later, but definitely before the end of the year.

He has bigger logistical and demographic problems to deal with as his Garda division is one of the largest in the country.

Chief Supt Finn said that gardaí had started the process of liaising with rural communities to find out what were the optimum times to have their stations open. As many rural dwellers commute early morning to large towns it’s likely that more isolated stations will start opening in the evening to accommodate their inquiries.

The presence of gardaí after dark on a winter’s night will also act as a deterrent to criminals, he said.

Chief Supt McGann said gardaí wanted to help rural communities and by fostering better links they could get more information about suspicious cars, and who was dealing in drugs or handling stolen property.