Families urged to avail of system to fight intimidation

Families living in terror of drug dealers because of debts owed by their children are being urged to use a new confidential system without fear of repercussions.

Garda bosses yesterday said the system was there to support families affected, assess the risks to them and draw up a security plan to keep them safe.

But they urged parents not to pay off debts to dealers, saying it was a “vicious circle” and that dealers will only come back for more.

The Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme was launched

yesterday by the National Family Support Network (NSFN) and An Garda Síochána.

The scheme was set up on the back of worsening intimidation over the last seven years, with incidents ranging from verbal threats, to physical and sexual assaults to pipe bomb attacks.

Research carried out by the NFSN showed that intimidation arose out of debts of less than 500 to as much as 60,000. It said families were “too fearful” to seek help from gardaí.

Under the new scheme, more than 300 family support workers across the country have been trained by the NFSN and the Garda National Drugs Unit.

In addition, a network of inspectors have been appointed by the Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in each garda division to deal with families affected.

“The key issue is that you have a senior manager in An Garda Síochána, an inspector, who’s able to make decisions in the interests of the family,” said Assistant Commissioner Derek Byrne.

“There is a risk assessment. We find out what the threat is and what the appropriate level of security needs to be. We give crime prevention advice and we make sure you’re happy with the advice you are getting.”

He said intimidation can have a “harrowing” effect on families, but cautioned people against paying debts, saying it was a “vicious circle”.

Det Supt Stephen Courage of the GNDU said paying up didn’t solve the issue.

“The debt was never actually the real debt and I use ‘real’ loosely,” he said. “It’s not just the value of drugs lost. Then they go to a family and say you owe that, say 10 grand, the family get it. They see them as a soft touch and would go back again and say he owed on another thing.”

He said the key message was to let families know the gardaí were there for them: “We want people to come forward, to come to us in confidence and feel secure.”

Sadie Grace of NFSN said the new system was working “very well” and thanked the GNDU, including Supt Courage’s predecessors, Chief Supt Barry O’Brien and Chief Supt Michael O’Sullivan.

Launching the report, Drugs Minister Alex White said drug-related

intimidation was a “huge problem” and he commended the Gardaí and the

NFSN for committing themselves to addressing it.

See fsn.ie or drugs.ie. Contact NSFN on 01-8365168.