Senior gardaí oppose plans to relocate rural officers

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has expressed its opposition to a proposal to relocate personnel from local garda stations to district headquarters.

The association said the proposal, if adopted, would see Gardai losing vital community contacts, while local people would also feel more vulnerable.

AGSI spokesperson Austin Kenny said: "We're afraid that if gardaí are pulled back into the larger centres, that they will lose contact with rural people, they'll lose contact with the local communities."

"There will be a great loss of the flow of information, which has traditionally been a very salient point in policing in this country."