Covert crackdown to drive out ‘boy racers’

GARDAÍ have started using covert cameras in Cork city and suburbs as part of an escalating crackdown on dangerous driving by ‘boy racers’.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that more than 60 vehicles have been seized from boy racers since a special operation was mounted by gardaí in north and east Cork.

Chief Superintendent Michael Finn, who is in charge of policing in Cork City, confirmed the cameras are being placed in areas gardaí know are used for driving stunts.

Some cameras have already been installed.

Gardaí are also using unmarked vehicles as part of the covert operation, which has the blessing of Kathleen O’Toole, chief inspector of the Garda Inspectorate. Chief Supt Finn said boy racers regularly posted ‘sentries’ at their events. This was the reason covert tactics were being employed to catch them unawares.

Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Kieran McGann, who heads the north and east Cork divisions, confirmed his men were also using these tactics to address the problem, including computers which provide automatic reading of registration numbers.

He said his officers would soon be equipped with ‘Tintman’ equipment, which would be used to detect whether tinted windows on boyracer cars were too dark and a breach of the law.

Chief Supt McGann said gardaí were also preparing to use specialised equipment which would measure the decibel levels of noisy exhausts to see if they also breached regulations.

Inspectors Eoin Healy and Senan Ryan have been appointed by Chief Supt McGann to oversee the anti-boy racer ‘Operation Curb’ in his division.

Inspector Healy said since the operation started in north and east Cork in the middle of August last, gardaí had seized 63 boy racer cars, several of which had serious mechanical defects.

“Last month alone we seized 20 vehicles as part of the operation,” Inspector Healy said.

He added that in October they had detected 256 offences by boy racers.

These included eight cases of dangerous driving, seven suspected drink-driving cases and one for drug-driving.

Chief Superintendent Tom Hayes, who heads policing in West Cork, said the region was experiencing boy racer problems as well.

“It’s as much of a problem in my area as anywhere else in Cork. We are very much aware of the potential use of covert cameras and are currently identifying their (boy racers) patterns of behaviour,” Chief Supt Hayes said.

Kathleen O’Toole, who addressed the first public meeting of the County Cork Joint Policing Committee (JPC) yesterday, said she welcomed the initiative.

“It’s definitely appropriate to use cameras in the case of boy racers or other public order issues of concern,” Ms O’Toole said.