Roscommon Herald Opinion: Shameful that people are living in fear

It is often mentioned that Roscommon is one of the safest counties in the country.

And, despite the terrible spate of burglaries and thefts across the county, this remains true.

However, it is also true that people, particularly in rural areas, are justifiably afraid and even terrified of criminals. They are afraid of burglaries, of being robbed in their own homes, and of being assaulted or worse. This is an intolerable situation, and also deeply unfair on older and vulnerable people who have an expectation and right to live in peace in their communities. The feeling is criminals are acting with impunity with overstretched Gardaí struggling to respond.

At Sunday’s public protest in Castlerea, strong voice was given to these concerns. The protest heard that some people were afraid to open their own doors and afraid they would be pulled from their beds in the dark of night. This is shameful to hear.

The issue of more Gardaí on the beat or on patrol is constantly brought up at meetings of the county’s Joint Policing Committee.

In March, it was estimated by retired councillor John Cummins that 2,000 to 2,500 extra Gardaí would be needed to keep pace with the country’s population growth. The need for more personnel has also been raised by members of An Garda Síochána through their representative organisations, and this is something that the current and incoming Government can do something about.

Undoubtedly, being a member of An Garda Síochána is a difficult and often thankless job. A cursory look at the size of district court and circuit court lists shows that local Gardaí are working hard to keep communities safe, including charging three men with organised crime offences recently. But these investigations take time and resources, and Gardaí must have sufficient support in order to do their jobs.

One of the biggest complaints about the current policing model is that it is not taking geography into account. The merging of Garda divisions into the colossal Mayo-Roscommon-Longford Division caused many to shake their heads in disbelief. Last week, Deputy Claire Kerrane told the Dáil that the amalgamation of the Boyle and Castlerea Garda Districts in 2012 was a mistake.

“I understand there are two Garda patrol cars at night in this area, which runs from Ballyfarnon at the top of north Roscommon to Cloonfad, a distance of 67 km. Two Garda cars are nowhere near enough,” she said.

She also said that Before Covid, there were 171 gardaí in the county whereas there are 146 today.

This is at the heart of the problem and needs to be addressed.