New front in war on burglars
Many of these gangs — numbering around six and often based around families — have been operating for generations, with younger members replacing older members caught by gardaí.
Senior Garda sources said a €5m budget announced yesterday under a new anti-burglary operation, codenamed Thor, will assist combating these gangs.
They also welcomed the 44 high-powered vehicles - 24 Audi Q7s and 20 BMW X5’s - to pursue and intercept these gangs on the road.
“There is a war of attrition between us and the gangs,” said one senior source.
“Many are intergenerational, passed on from father to son and grandson. We’ve taken out many of them, but someone else in the family takes their place. You constantly need to keep the pressure on them.”
Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan said the operation would provide an additional 100,000 patrolling hours by gardaí in communities. Along with six organised crime gangs, the operation is targeting some 200 prolific burglars.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) welcomed the extra hours, but pointed out that the country was losing 5.3m police hours every year as a result of 2,500 gardaí being cut from the force since 2010.
Speaking at the launch of the strategy, Ms O’Sullivan said Operation Thor was replacing a “very successful” Operation Fiacla, running since 2012.
Operation Fiacla — which itself had a target list of 300 prolific burglars — resulted in the arrest of 14,000 suspects and secured charges against more than 8,000.
Ms O’Sullivan said the €5m budget would provide increase police visibility in communities and on road networks.
She said the high-powered vehicles — which will begin to come on stream by Christmas — will be distributed between the armed Regional Support Units.
She said Operation Thor has identified “specific targets” and she expects to see “tangible benefits in the coming weeks and months”.
She said she wanted to “put as many out of business as we can”, but added that as soon as gardaí had successes the “individuals and groups” were replaced.
The operation is led by the newly appointed deputy commissioner of operations, John Twomey. He said it would be supplemented by a national awareness campaign on November 16.
Gurchand Singh, head of the Garda analysis service, said that after an initial burglary, the risk of revictimisation increases in the first five weeks — and that the risk spreads to neighbouring houses.
He said 75% of break-ins are done via three points: the front door, the back door, and a rear window.
He said that analysis they conducted, examining a six-year period, found that 23% of suspected burglars were responsible for 77% of recorded burglaries.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said she was “confident” the €5m budget would help “disrupt” gangs and prevent burglaries.
She rejected suggestions the operation came with an election looming, saying it had been worked on for months and was part of a wider investment in An Garda Síochána.
GRA president Dermot O’Brien said: “To add garda overtime is welcome as a short-term stop-gap until we have the correct number of gardaí to police the country.
“Gardaí working additional hours on overtime is no substitute for rostered full-time members deployed permanently.”
He pointed out that the force had lost 5.3m hours with the cut in garda numbers since 2010. He also called for similar investment along the border.
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