YOUGHAL AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY ALERT MAY 2010

By Christy Parker

Prior to the meeting, PRO Garda John Sharkey circulated information packs covering such areas as home & holiday security, scams, child protection, safe driving and victim support. Pa Forrest chaired the meeting in the absence of Jack Dempsey. Shortly after commencement, treasurer Michael Beecher quoted the current finances as €704.58.

Community Safety Week

Sergeant John Sharkey delivered an account of the previous week’s Garda Community Safety Week. He referred to Community Garda Peter Queally’s involvement with the Foroige beach clean up and also reported that Garda Queally had called to crime victims, including an elderly man duped and robbed by a man posing as a garda detective. The sergeant said yellow ‘calling cards’ are available on which householders ask unknown callers offering services to enter their details with a view to being contacted later, rather than being immediately admitted to their homes. The cards are available at the garda station or through Cuman na Daoine, Meals on Wheels and the Rotary club. The sergeant said the Community Alert committee had selected the first 15 of the current 40+ personal security alarm applications for government funding.

Celebrations and Signs

The PRO said Sergeant Kennedy and the Pobalscoil Parent’s Council had discussed a celebratory disco in lieu of the upcoming Junior Cert examinations, with regard to sidestepping underage drinking. He informed the meeting that car burglary warning signs had now been erected at the Front Strand, Claycastle, Glenbower and Gortroe, with the group contributing €50 towards costs.

Sergeant Sharkey said the gardai had discussed anti-fraud measures with the Chamber of Commerce.

Crime statistics

There had been only one reported assault since the previous meeting, although there had been at least one other ‘unreported’ assault in which the victim had declined to file a complaint. “Unfortunately this sometimes happens and hinders us taking action,” he added. The crime statistics for the month April 6th to May 4th were as follows:

Burglaries (5) – Youghal Bridge, Cork Hill, Summerdale Lawn, Clashadonna and O’Reilly’s Terrace. One involved a business premises and the other private. In regard to the ‘bogus garda’ incident, at Clashadonna, the sergeant said a similar incident had occurred in Cobh and a suspect has been identified and is being sought. He is not from the Youghal area The burglaries at the business premises and at one private residence were also being resolved.

Assault (1) Store Street.

Criminal damage (11): Tallow Street (3), CBS school, St. Mary’s Collegiate Church, Pobalscoil na Trionoide, Chestnut Drive, Pearse Square, Raheen Park.  These included a number of tyres being slashed in Tallow Street area. The sergeant declined to relate the incidents to underage drinking but said CCTV was being studied regarding four non-Irish individuals who may or may not be involved.

Drunk Driving (1): Lighthouse Hill

Caught In Possession of Drugs: (4): Seafield/Perks, Claycastle, Mill Road, Dolphin Square.

Possession of drugs with intent to supply (1): Quarryvale. This followed on a house search and amounted to an estimated €1,000 worth of cannabis. A DPP file is being prepared.

Fraud (1): Tesco’s and detected.

Public Order Incidences (6): Bayview Grove, Friar Street, Claycastle (2), Blackwater Heights, O’Brien’s Place. These involved drunkenness, disorderly conduct, etc.

Street Searches for Drugs (30): At Seafield, Ballyvergan, Clashanonna, O’Brien’s Place, Green Park, Tallow Street, Killeagh Road, Front Strand.

Thefts (6): Centra Supermarket Killeagh, Ballyvergan (from car), Claycastle, Lighthouse Hill (from car), Lidl’s, Aura (from car), Tesco. Three of these were thefts from cars.

Underage drinking (3) South Main Street, Dun Coran, Ashe Street.

Licensed Premises: Twelve premises were visited and all found to be in order as regards late or underage drinking.

From the floor:

Sergeant Sharkey said an off licence proprietor had sought a meeting with gardai relevant to alcohol purchases for underage consumption. “He is being conscientious and we will give him whatever assistance we can,” said the sergeant.

One member of the attendance provided the garda with a knife he had discovered while out walking and agreed to give further details on location later. Sergeant Sharkey recalled a campaign theme called “How Big Do You Feel?,” which emphasised that knife-carriers, contrary to their own self-estimation, held minimal status in the wider picture. Regarding an imminent diving knife promotion at Lidl’s, the sergeant said it was up to the retailers to police such sales. “If someone buys a knife for diving, that’s fine,” he commented, “but they’d have no business carrying it around on a Saturday night.”

Asked if on-street drug detections were increasing or otherwise, the sergeant said the rate of infringement seems to have subsided compared to 2009, when there were ‘strong concerns about heroin, which fuels serious crime.” He also explained that gardai need “reasonable suspicion” before searching someone, although some individuals might be searched regularly. The meeting heard that Youghal is shortly to be the focus both of a pilot referral scheme and also a ‘dial-up and stop drugs’ project, whereby the public will be urged to assist the battle against drugs.

On foot of an inquiry from treasurer Michael Beecher, Sergeant Sharkey explained that June to August would see increased local garda resources with the deployment of the Midleton-based traffic unit and increased overtime allowance to assist weekend policing.

Concern was expressed about anti-social behaviour in the college gardens. It was reported that some youths had leapt from heights nearing 20 feet at the town walls to escape detection, barely avoiding serious injury. The sergeant further informed that an individual brought to the garda station on another matter could also be breathalysed. Regarding the supply of alcohol to minors, a shopkeeper in attendance said a first offence can close a business while a second discretion can result in failure to have a licence renewed. “It’s a big risk for retailers because should an accident subsequently occur, it will be traced back,” observed Sergeant Sharkey.

Alcohol was deemed to be regularly involved in assaults, the meeting heard, while the majority of victims know their assailant/s, as being domestically related, friends, rivals, school enemies, etc.. “Its up to the victim to follow up with an official complaint,” stressed the sergeant.

The next  meeting is on Tuesday June 1st at 7.45 pm.