6 HOMES RAIDED IN GARDA PATROL CAR RAM PROBE
Minister: Minority will not be allowed to terrorise
GARDAI raided six homes in yesterday as part of their investigation into the ramming of a patrol car.
Mobile phones and items of clothing were seized in the dawn swoop, the second in the area since the incident in Cherry Orchard in West Dublin on Monday, which was filmed by a baying crowd and shared on social media.
Several searches were carried out in homes in the wider Ballyfermot area on Thursday morning and a number of electronic devices were seized in searches of six homes.
The items from both searches will be sent for examination and forensic analysis as gardai continue to appeal for information.
OPERATION
A garda spokesman said: “Six domestic residences were searched in the West Dublin area in the course of this morning’s operation.
“A number of mobile phones and items of clothing were seized... no arrests were made in this phase of the investigation.”
On Friday, Justice Minister Helen Mcentee met with community leaders in Cherry Orchard and vowed the Government would respond to issues in the area.
Announcing that €135,000 confiscated by CAB would be invested in a local youth project, she added: “A minority will never be allowed terrorise decent communities.
“Those who deserve to be punished, will be.”
Community workers said disadvantage and other factors which led to anti-social behaviour in the area had been ignored by the Government for generations.
The Garda Representative Association said it was aware extra resources had been provided to police the area.
A GRA spokesman added: “I would have serious concerns that serious gaps remain in driving and self-defence training [ for gardai].
“We need action rather than platitudes from Government and local councillors if our gardai are to be able to go about their duties without constant fear of serious injury, or worse.”
Monday’s incident is believed to have been revenge for a wideranging search operation by gardai.
Officers responding to a report of dangerous driving saw two vehicles driving erratically.
Drivers in both vehicles failed to stop when requested, before one of them deliberately rammed the garda car to cheers and encouragement from a large crowd.
The incident was recorded and a video of it has been widely circulated on Tiktok and other social media platforms.
Two female gardai, who were travelling in the rammed squad car, have since signed off work and are receiving support from their colleagues and the organisation.