‘BigIncrease’ inassaults
DEDICATED UNIT SET UP TO DEAL WITH SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND RAPE CASES
THERE has been ‘a big increase’ in assaults according to the latest Garda figures for the Dundalk District which were produced at last week’s meeting of the Dundalk Joint Policing Committee,
Supt Gerry Curley reported that while there was a significant decrease under several other headings, there had been a bit increase in both serious assaults and minor assaults.
The period was also marked by a homicide, which was something that they never liked to see in the District, he said, adding that a person had been arrested and brought before the courts.
Serious assults had jumped to 23 in a three month period compared to 15 over the same period the previous year and minor assaults had risen from 31 to 70.
However, he pointed out that very often the victim doesn’t follow through by making a statement after an assault has been reported.
He also revealed that a dedicated sexual assault unit has been set to deal with cases of sexual assaults or rape and also to monitor incidences of domestic violence.
The unit comprises one garda sergeant and five gardai and is bringing a new level of skills to an important area of policing, he explained.
The number of domestic violence cases had increased by 20 per cent to 95 cases, he said. ‘In a lot of cases where we have a report, the injured party doesn’t follow thourhg with a statement. We take details at the scene, and if we have enough information we will bring it before the courts,’ he said, adding that the court’s didn’t always look on that favourably.
The policing forum also heard that there had been reductions in the number of burglaries and thefts.
Supt Curley said that the gardai were putting a lot of working into putting Gardai on the town centre with pa- trols on the street coming up to Christmas. They were also linking with town shops and the BIDS office.
The theft of tools from vehicles was still a problem and he said they were trying to get the message out for people to keep tools as safe as possible although it was difficult for people int he building trade to remove all their equipment from vehicles overnight,
He reported that there had been nine robberies, down one on the same period the previous year and these were often carried out by people who are addicted to drugs and doing it to feed a habit.
Gardai had a number of good drug seizures during the period and twenty people were arrested for possession of drugs and eight for possession for sale or supply. Again these figures were down from the previous years. They had carried out 187 searches for drugs which included searching people known to be involved in drugs. These street searches are carried out to prevent people from selling drugs.
Resources to tackle burglaries were being increased with an increase of young members into the Disrict, he said. ‘We are very positive and proactive with patrols and checkpoints and it has had a good effect. There had been a significant reduction in the number of burglaries so far this year, with fourteen in the first thirty days compared to 58 in January 2015.