“Ballina is a much safer place” was the message from Inspector Joe Doherty to the members of the Ballina Joint Policing Committee this week who reported a reduction in assaults in general by 24 per cent; assaults causing harm down 37 per cent, assaults on gardaí down 40 per cent and theft from persons fell by 50 per cent, with thefts from vehicles down 11 per cent on last year.
In relation to drugs seizures there were 53 seizures in Ballina in 2010, 40 for possession and 13 seizures for sale and supply. Among the drugs gardaí found were cannabis, ecstasy tablets, heroin, and speed, while the main drugs recovered for sale or supply were cannabis herb and cannabis resin. “Our policy of high visibility foot patrols at night, especially at the weekend, has been working well and Ballina is a much safer place now,” Insp Doherty told the meeting.
However he informed members that the number of burglaries had gone up in 2010. “I appeal to people to make sure their properties are secured and don’t leave things like tools and copper out in the open as these are things that people will go for,” he said. He also encouraged all members of the community to report anything suspicious . “We need the public’s assistance in these cases,” he added. “Our detection rate for burglaries is between 35 per cent and 40 per cent at the moment.”
