LOUTH GARDAI PLAN FACEBOOK PAGE
CHIEF SUPT SAYS HE’S FIGHTING FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR THE REGION
PEOPLE keen to liaise with gardai in the Louth area will have the chance to do that via social media shortly.
The Louth Division is planning to launch a Facebook page in a bid to help the community.
‘We will have everything on it, all events that are taking place, etc,’ Supt Andrew Watters stated.
‘Members of the public can also contribute on it,’ he added.
Addressing the Joint Policing Meeting for the area, he also said the Text Alert system, used by communities, was also an invaluable tool against crime.
It was also revealed by Chief Supt Christy Mangan that he is fighting for more resources - and patrol cars.
Drogheda was due to get a new car last week.
‘We need more cars as they are used 24/7,’ he stated. ‘I canvass for a bigger budget because this year we had three murders and you have to put in the proper resources.’
Cllr Pio Smith said that Drogheda - the largest town in the country - needed the same resources as Dundalk .
‘ There are better facilities in Dundalk than Drogheda and I would ask the minister to bring it up to the same standard,’ he remarked. Cllr Richie Culhane agreed that a letter should be sent.
At the Mid Louth JPC meeting, Cllr Colm Markey said he believed a lot of crime went unreported, sparking Chief Supt Christy Mangan to state that all crimes needed to be reported as it built up a proper statistics table and then allowed him to seek extra resources.
With the events of the past number of months, he had ‘ex- hausted’ his budget and ‘ hadn’t a cent left’. He added, ‘if I was a company, I’d be gone.’
Deputy Imelda Munster also said that people in rural areas were concerned about the lack of patrols and she raised it with the minister that Drogheda had just two cars.