Crowe says Tallaght Topping League for Burglaries – Unacceptable
Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has described figures released from the Central Statistics Office which shows the area covered by Tallaght Garda Station topping the league when it comes to reported burglaries and coming in at a whopping 922 cases as ‘unaccceptable’. Rathfarnham Station which is also in the Garda Division area comes in 7th in the state wide survey with 347 burglaries.
The Tallaght based Deputy said that the CSO figures were a wake up call for Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and local Garda Management and that people living in the area want to see more overt policing with workable solutions.
Deputy Seán Crowe said:
“The Central Statistic Office figures in relation to burglaries released today, shows the Tallaght Garda Station topping the statewide league when it comes to reported burglaries and a whopping 922 burglary cases is unacceptable for any community to endure. These figures when combined with Rathfarnham Station area at 347 reported burglary cases and coming in 7th highest, highlights the scale of the actual problem in this Garda Division area. It also points to the need for more resources to be put in to the area to tackle the growing problem.
“These latest figures should act as an urgent ‘wake up’ call for Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and local Garda Management.
“Is it right or somehow acceptable that in some estates in areas like Tallaght that there are actually more burglaries than the combined numbers reported to many Garda Stations around the state.
“The recession, high unemployment combined with a large cohort with a drug problem, are often cited as an excuse for the reported increase but it also has to be related to actual Garda numbers and the extent of policing resources available in the area.
“The majority of burglaries and evidence from homes burgled would seem to suggest that thieves are targetting items that are easy to sell on and dispose of quickly.
“The proliferation and lack of any regulations or controls on shops buying clothes, gold and jewellery for cash, is also a godsend for criminals and needs to be covered by new legislation.
“Many residents have been making the reasonable point at local Policing Fora meetings, that they want to see more overt policing combined with workable solutions. The installation of enhanced lighting and the extention of CCTV to vulnerable areas would also help. Local residents in the targetted areas also need to work together and become more cautious of information given out on social network sites.
“Simple solutions like visible policing and residents looking out and supporting vulnerable neighbours will also help.
“The Minister for Justice, the Garda Commissioner and Local Garda Management need to look closer at the burglary statistics and take imaginative steps to reduce this growing phenomona. Burglaries need to be prioritised in any local policing plan and this will require extra Garda being more active in communities throughout Tallaght.
“The criminals and gangs engaged in these burglaries need to be targetted and jailed if convicted.
“Tallaght and its residents are clearly getting a raw deal. These latest crime burglary statitistics don’t reflect the heartache, terror and sense of violation that many residents experience when they find their home has been broken into. Surely it should be a basic right of any Irish citizen to be able to feel safe and protected in their own home.
“This is not the case for many residents living in many estates across Tallaght.
“An appropiate and immediate response from the Minister and the Garda Authorities including extra Garda would be welcome.”