Rural Kilkenny is ‘poor relation’ in terms of policing

Rural Kilkenny has been ‘the poor relation’ because of policing in Kilkenny City according to a member of the Joint Policing Committee.

Councillor Pat Fitzpatrick made the remarks at a recent JPC meeting that was held in County Hall.

“Rural Kilkenny, especially Castlecomer has been the poor relation because of policing in Kilkenny City.

“Some of the crime is not even been reported, only recently an elderly man in North Kilkenny was involved in incident and had to get help from Waterford.

“I strongly feel that we are undercovered. People in Ballyragget and other areas in North Kilkenny are petrified that something will happen. I want to know how many garda recruits have come to Kilkenny.” he said.

Councillor Michael McCarthy raising the issue of garda numbers at the meeting and added that he had previously raised it.

“I raised the issue because of complaints received and out of personal concern for safety in the Castlecomer Municipal Area which stretches from Moneenroe to Urlingford.” he said.

Cllr McCarthy also asked if ‘restricted numbers of the force serving a factor in the alarmingly rising crime statistics’.

“I believe numbers across North Kilkenny are at all time low. The force in Castlecomer is approximately half of what it was not too many years ago.,” he added.

Cllr McCarthy told the meeting that he wanted to end his remarks on ‘a positive note’.

“ The JPC model was built on co-operation, I think now is an opportune time to repurpose our community text alert groups.

The dialogue and sharing of information by the text alert groups has been an invaluable means of deterrent in the battle against anti-social behaviour,” he concluded.

Cllr Fitzpatrick told the meeting that it is ‘a resources issues’.

“In North Kilkenny we really feel under pressure,” he said.

Cllr John Brennan said that the crime figures in the Castlecomer area ‘is down to resources in the area’.

“We work very closely with the gardaí. We need more resources and more gardaí,” he added.

Cllr Pat Dunphy told the meeting that there is ‘a shortage of manpower in the gardaí in every area’.

“It is the same in Mooncoin, we need feet on the ground, that is the biggest deterrent. We need more gardaí, what can we do about it,” he asked.

Cllr John Coonan, who is based in Kilkenny City said that ‘resources are not available to solve the problem at St Canice’s Steps which is perennial and is a problem for residents and churchgoers. We need to send a message that we need more resources.”

Supt Aidan Brennan responding to Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick said that all calls are dealt with through regional headquarters and that was the reason the caller spoke to someone in Waterford.

Flash flooding possible as status orange thunderstorm warning issued in Kilkenny

Supt Brennan also said that only six gardaí have arrived in Kilkenny in the past two years and adding that they were ‘losing garda members’.

Cllr Martin Brett said that the JPC should write to the Minister for Justice to raise their concerns regarding the lack of garda resources.

Caothaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Michael Doyle added that in the letter it should be ‘strongly suggested’ in the letter that if we need to recruit new recruits then the terms and conditions of gardaí must improve.