Business people urged to ‘wake up’ to crime risks

Business people in West Cork are being urged by gardaí to “wake up” to the risks of crime.

In a response to increased burglaries in the region, gardaí will hold meetings next week in Skibbereen and Dunmanway.

They are also establishing a special database of business organisations which can be emailed with warnings about criminals operating in the area.

Cork West Garda Division crime prevention officer Sergeant Ian O’ Callaghan said: “It is very important to get information out quickly. In this way, one email from me will reach thousands of people in the West Cork area.”

Business people throughout the region have been called to meet with gardaí in the coming weeks to alert them to lax security practices as well as to weaknesses in their commercial premises.

Sgt O’Callaghan and newly-appointed Superintendent Derek Smart of Clonakilty Garda Station will meet with businesspeople in Dunmanway and Skibbereen.

In the following weeks, gardaí — who have already held meetings with members of the general public — will meet with traders in Clonakilty, Kinsale, Macroom and Bandon.

The meetings will discuss issues such as cash controls, cash handling procedures, time-lock facilities on safes and fraudulent activity, and will also provide advice in relation to shop-lifting, layouts, CCTV and signage.

The meetings will coincide with the launch of a BusinessWatch e-book on www.garda.ie.

The number of burglaries in West Cork have increased in the first three months of this year according to provisional figures — but the region has experienced a fall-off in incidents of theft.

Burglaries in the division rose by up to 9% in the first three months of this year while the number of overall thefts, which include thefts from cars, shops or, for example the theft of property from outhouses, open yards or from the side of the road, dropped by more than 10%.

“Business people in the region need to start waking up in relation to security — they can be somewhat lax in relation to securing their premises and commercial yards where property is stored overnight,” Sgt O’Callaghan said.

“Business premises must be alarmed. It is my strong belief that all should have a monitored alarm — the lack of one is an attraction to criminals,” he said.

Figures show 36% of the 334 burglaries in West Cork were carried out on commercial premises or on non-resident premises.

Burglaries on domestic residences accounted for 64% of the total.

* A meeting will be held next Tuesday in the Parkway Hotel in Dunmanway at 7pm and on Wednesday in the West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen at 8pm.