Drogheda Independent Headline: Carey's Community Alert Launch

EAST Meath's new Garda Superintendent Jim Cannon was on hand to launch Stamullen's new Community Alert initiative recently.

The launch took place at a well attended community meeting in Whytes pub.

At the meeting Sergeant Trevor Dooley of Laytown Gardaí, Stamullen's new Community Alert Liaison Officer, explained how the system works.

He said it is very much community driven with a committee of local volunteers who 'identify community needs and collectively address them.'

At the meeting there was some confusion as to which station serves Stamullen.

Up until last summer the area was under the jurisdiction of Balbriggan Gardaí but now Stamullen is policed by Laytown Gardaí.

Superintendent Cannon stressed that Laytown Garda station has a 24-hour patrol-car service but it is not a 24hour station.

He said Laytown current has five sergeants and 14 Garda officers with one sergeant and four gardaí on patrol at one time.

The Superintendent said the target is to have more gardaí on duty in Laytown by the end of March.

He emphasised the need for people to report crime or the potential for crime saying Gardaí can check a licence plate in minutes and can tell if it is indeed suspicious or just a plumber on a job.

Noel McCarthy from Muintir na Tíre spoke about the origins of the Community Alert programme which was developed in partnership with An Garda Síochána, as a response to the rise in crime in rural Ireland.

At the meeting a 14 member volunteer Community Alert committee for Stamullen was established, chaired by James Carey of Glasheen Estate with Melanie Harkin from Cockhill as honorary secretary.

A list of Community Alert contacts for each estate in Stamullen will be circulated in the near future and a website is planned.

Liaison officer Sergeant Dooley can be contacted by email at trevor.dooley@garda.ie.

- ANGELA MCCORMICK