Nightly vigil
established to beat the burglars
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen
Independent
WITH NIGHTLY patrols by local residents aimed at
thwarting burglars now the norm in Malin, Malin
Head, Culdaff and Gleneely, residents in the
Burt/Bridgend area have become the latest to launch
their own deterrent to would-be burglars.
According to a spokesman for the Burt/Bridgend
group, these patrols will be peaceful and are solely
intended to support the efforts of the Garda in
protecting local homes.
“Let there be no ambiguity about the purpose of our
actions,” he said. “Our intention is not to embark
on a vigilante-style campaign, but rather to
maintain a vigilant watch in our local area and
report any suspicious activity to the Garda who are
the only legitimate agency of law and order in the
State.”
“Many homeowners have fallen victim to the
activities of these apparently fearless burglars and
as a result there is a palpable fear in the wider
community,” he continued. “This is unacceptable and
we feel it is our duty to help allay this fear by
taking such action.”
Cash, equipment and vehicles have all been stolen in
a series of burglaries in the Burt/Bridgend area
since the start of February, and the group spokesman
concluded by urging local people to follow all the
crime prevention advice provided by gardaí and to
report any suspicious activity in their area
immediately.
Meanwhile, the Inishowen Community Forum last week
hosted a meeting in Carndonagh between Garda
Superintendent Paul Glynn and senior colleagues and
representatives from a number of community groups in
the North Inishowen to discuss the spate of recent
burglaries. A wide ranging discussion took place,
including the important role of the community in
supporting the Garda in crime prevention.
Superintendent Glynn said good communication and
working together by the Garda and the community was
central to beating crime and that the way forward is
to establish a mechanism for this to happen. It is
hoped that local Community Alert Groups will be able
to establish a Garda link and that representation
from these groups would then constitute a North
Inishowen joint policing forum. The forum will
provide a conduit for information exchange and
feedback between gardaí and the community.
A further meeting is to be held in the incoming
weeks to further develop the plan. |
