Traffic light thieves target Minister’s car

March 1997

Wexford’s Environment Minister Brendan Howlin and his Dáil colleague Hugh Byrne both learned first-hand about Dublin crime recently, when property was robbed from both their cars by traffic light thieves.

Last Sunday, Minister Howlin and his Garda driver had stopped at traffic lights at Poplar Row in Ballybough, when two young thieves targeted the car at 6.30 p.m.

One of the youths opened the back door of the Volvo when the car stopped, while the other grabbed a jacket belonging to the Garda chauffeur, and ran.

The driver immediately jumped out of the car and chased the culprits, who dropped the jacket as they ran away. No-one has been apprehended in relation to the incident, which has been reported to Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station.

It is believed that the spot where the incident took place is a notorious crime blackspot.

Meanwhile, Deputy Hugh Byrne had a similar experience recently when he was on his way to Dublin Airport to meet a funeral.

According to Deputy Byrne, he and Michael Joyce, who was driving his car, had just crossed the toll bridge on the East Link when they had to stop at traffic lights beside a block of flats.

‘We were just commenting on the appalling condition of the flats when the door opened behind us and a youth grabbed a jacket out of the car,’ said Deputy Byrne, who added that the youth was no more than 13 years of age.

After the youth had grabbed the jacket, Deputy Byrne heard another youth tell him to go back and get the briefcase which was also in the back of the car.

‘With that, I locked the doors,’ he said, adding that the youths went back into the block of flats.

Deputy Byrne said that he had heard of such incidents in Dublin but had never experienced it before. He also noted that traffic light crime has turned even more sinister, with thieves throwing rats into cars in an effort to startle drivers before they make off with property.

‘When people told me about these robberies, I thought they were joking. But my car will be locked from now on,’ he said.