Call for more rural gardaí as shop is raided for third time in two months

A nephew of a 73-year-old shopkeeper, whose premises has been raided three times in the last two months, yesterday pleaded for the return of gardaí to rural areas.

Justin Horgan said his uncle, Jimmy Collins, was in a state of shock and “really upset” after the break-ins at his small grocery in the village of Ardfert, Co Kerry.

“Rural crime is on the increase — enough is enough. More and more gardaí are being based in Dublin while stations in the rest of the country are being depleted of resources. Rural Ireland is being deprived of yet another essential service.”

Mr Collins, who is single, has run his old-style shop in Church St, since 1958. It was also raided seven years ago.

He was not at home for any of the break-ins, the last which took place between 5.30pm-7.30pm on Thursday. Cash and cigarettes were stolen, with the cigarette machine being broken and emptied.

“What made the last raid the most distressing one for Jimmy was that the shop and ground floor area were completely ransacked and the raiders clearly brought implements with them. They just wrecked the place,” said Mr Horgan.

“There’s great support for him from far and near and he’s been a pillar of the community all his life.”

A garda based in Ardfert retired last year, but was not replaced and a part-time service is currently provided from nearby Tralee.

Mr Horgan, an Ardfert publican, said local people wanted a full-time Garda service restored.

“There was always a good relationship between locally based gardaí and the community. If gardaí are not in close contact with the people, they don’t know what’s going on in a community,” he said.

“While communities can help themselves, they also need somebody to go to and having a locally based garda would be the first important step in reducing rural crime.”

Gardaí, in Tralee, meanwhile, are appealing to the public not to buy cigarettes from unusual sources. They also appealed to anyone who is offered the cigarettes for sale, or has information about the break-ins, to contact them at 066-7102300.

Cash and cigarettes stolen in latest raid in Ardfert

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