Community policing clincs to fill void of station closures

New community policing clinics will be set up next month in a busy part of Cork City which saw its garda station close last year.

From February, gardaí will hold weekly community policing clinics at the Lough Parish Centre on the grounds of the church.

Local Independent councillor Mick Finn said the clinics will go some way towards filling the void left by the closure of the Barrack St garda station.

The barracks, which was based on the grounds of Elizabeth Fort, was closed last year as part of a round of nationwide garda station closures.

The station, which had responsibility for policing a busy city area which includes University College Cork, was earmarked for closure because of the fort’s hand-over by the Office of Public Works to the city council for redevelopment as a tourist attraction.

Concern was expressed at the time about the closure and about the absence of a visible garda presence from the highly populated area.

However, garda chiefs have confirmed that, from next month, they will hold weekly community clinics in the Lough.

The clinics will operate every Wednesday from 12pm to 2pm, where a complete range of community policing services will be provided.

“While delighted that Elizabeth Fort will finally be used to draw tourists to this area, the absence of the station on Barrack Street — and indeed the Garda personnel there — was a continuing concern for all those who utilised services,” said Mr Finn.

“The community policing unit only moved a short distance away to the Bridewell, but it still left a gap in service in the eyes of many.

“The new clinics based out of the Lough Church centre will help redress this loss.”

He said people living Greenmount, Pouladuff, Barrack St, Gillabbey, and the Lough — as well as parts of Ballyphehane and Turner’s Cross — will benefit from this new clinic strategy.

He praised gardaí and the Lough parish community for facilitating the new policing service and he encouraged people with concerns to use it.

Keys to Elizabeth Fort, Barrack St handed to council today by OPW after a long campaign...let the development begin. pic.twitter.com/2GmAaawbnS

— Mick Finn (@mickfinn01) January 8, 2014