Where are the extra gardaí in small towns?

ON RTÉ’s Prime Time recently a Fianna Fáil deputy, Michael Mulcahy, said the gardaí had never been better resourced and never more numerous.

If that’s the case, where are they? I grew up in Doneraile, Co Cork. Since the 1930s there had always been a sergeant and two or three gardaí in the station on main street.

But now the station there is scaled down to the size of a large closet and has no resident sergeant or garda.

There is a part-time presence based seven miles away in Mallow or more than twice that distance in Charleville.

I’m sure people can calculate for themselves how long it would take the squad car to arrive from either of those towns in the event of an emergency, presuming there is a car available.

Of course, it’s not only honest people who are aware of this situation, so of course the crime rate is rising. There is nobody there to stop it.

So, Mr Mulcahy, where are those numbers of gardaí you spoke about? Gaye Walsh

827 NE 100th

Seattle

Washington State

USA