Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Galway West John Connolly is calling on the Minister for Justice to immediately implement the recommendations of the recently published Garda Inspectorate Report. He said that people in Galway are genuinely fearful following a rise in assaults, burglaries and thefts across the city and county.
“At a time when crime rates are rising, the number of Gardai on the beat has fallen dramatically and this is a major cause for concern”, explained Mr. Connolly.“Garda numbers across Galway are down from 608 officers in 2010 to 562 in 2015. That’s a loss of 46 Gardai in less than five years. Over the past five years Salthill has lost nine Gardai while there are four fewer officers in Galway city.
“It’s worrying, but unsurprising that crime levels are on the rise. Over the past year we’ve seen an 11 per cent jump in theft, a 24 per cent increase in aggravated burglary and a staggering 140 per cent rise in assault cases. “It just doesn’t make sense that there are fewer Gardaí on the street while crime figures are increasing. “Eleven Garda stations have been closed in Galway in recent years removing a much needed Garda presence from communities across the city and county.“At a recent crime meeting organised by Fianna Fáil, we heard from people who are afraid to be alone in their homes. Others have already been the victims of crime and are worried that they’ll be targeted again. There is a genuine fear out there and that is no way for people to live,” he said.
“We will work to ensure that the use of the Garda resources is maximised so that people in the Galway region and throughout the country, can have faith in policing in their communities. Sadly the latest crime figures show that current policing policies are not working,” concluded Mr Connolly.
