A number of leaflets will be in circulation throughout Kilkenny in the coming weeks, to help the public protect themselves against crime more effectively.
The leaflets, which offer guidance on topics such as how to handle unwanted visitors, as well as phone numbers to make an anonymous and confidential report to Gardai, will be distributed around the county.
“The safety of vulnerable or older people in Kilkenny is of concern, particularly from unwelcome callers,” Councillor Paul Cuddihy told Kilkenny’s Joint Policing Committee (JCP ) last week.
“A leaflet is currently being produced to give reassurance and advice in order to stop people being conned and robbed.”
In one such incident, an elderly man was tricked into surrendering a substantial sum of money by a man posing as a Garda searching for counterfeit banknotes.
Another leaflet provides a freephone number, which allows members of the public to telephone in anonymously with information. This leaflet focuses, in particular, on information relating to drug use and drug dealing.
Superintendent Michael Nevin told the JCP that the number of detections of drugs for personal use in Kilkenny was decreasing. However, the number of detections of drugs for sale and supply – widely acknowledged as the real problem – has increased by 21 per cent this year.
“There is a reality of heroin abuse in Kilkenny,” said Councillor Paul Cuddihy.
“There is also an increasing perception and awareness of drugs being on sale”.
The committee heard that the sale of drugs in the city continued to be advertised by the suspending of a pair of runners over telephone wires. While the residents of some communities – with the best of intentions – have attempted to remove them, the JCP has asked that they refrain from doing so. Apart from the obvious safety concerns, only the ESB is legally permitted to remove items from the lines.
The committee also discussed the alcohol problem in Kilkenny, and the wider impact of the drug in Ireland.
“The national figures released today show that we have the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in Europe,” said Cllr O’ hArgain.
The Labour Party councillor also expressed concern over the increased online availability of illegal substances. He told the JCP that Ireland now has the highest rate of synthetic drug use in the EU, and that Internet access to drugs is a contributing factor – but that solutions could be found.
“In the past, when we were dealing in relation to head shops we managed to close them with a short and successful community-led campaign,” he said.
