‘Limerick is on the brink of something - and it’s not good’

“LIMERICK is on the brink of something and it’s not good”, a local councillor has warned.

Aontu member Sarah Beasley was speaking at this month’s metropolitan district meeting, where a wide-ranging discussion took place on crime in the city centre.

“We know feuds are happening and it’s spreading across the city. We need more gardai. Limerick is in trouble and we all know it,” added the councillor.

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Metropolitan district members have unanimously agreed to write to Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, asking him to brief the council on the future resourcing of policing in the city.

The author of the motion, Labour’s Padraigh Reale said: “I have met An Garda Siochana on a number of occasions and unfortunately all I am hearing is that there isn’t the resources to police our city to the level it needs to be policed at,” he said.
Cllr Reale says he was told there are 60 outstanding incidents on the garda’s files relating to the city centre which are not yet dealt with.

And due to the wait times, people are no longer making reports to the gardai, as they are not confident their issues will be solved, said Cllr Reale.

He warned this runs the risk of weakening Limerick’s case for more gardai - as it gives the false perception that crime is low.

“Only last week, 120 gardai passed out from Templemore, 11 have been assigned to the southern region and my understanding is four have been assigned to the Limerick division - not enough.”

The lack of garda patrols is “the elephant in the room,” said his party colleague, Cllr Joe Leddin, who himself had a motion passed requesting a meeting with senior gardai.

“The situation is deteriorating, and we cannot allow it to continue in its current guise,” he said.