Drug money should go back into community
MONEY seized from drug dealers should go back into communities. That was the feeling voiced at the annual public meeting of Dundalk Joint Policing Committee (JPC) held over Zoom last week as members gave their support to the idea that money seized from drug dealers should be invested into community projects as had been put forward at the Drogheda PC the previous night.
Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan said he would support such a concept. ‘People would see the clear benefit from catching and prosecuting drug dealers.’
He confirmed that ‘considerable sums of money are being seized in Dundalk, Drogjeda and Ardee.’
‘ There are lots of projects and voluntary groups crying out for funding,’ he said, adding that it would be nice to see €250,000 seized off a drug dealer going back to a project in Dundalk.
Cllr Sean Kelly, JPC chairperson, suggested that the idea be brought to the JPC steering committee for the county and they could then submit a proposal to the Minister for Justice.
John Temple of the PPN pointed out that money seized
by the State goes through the office of the court services. He was aware that several resident associations in Dundlak have received money from the court service in Dundlak. ‘It has been available but people don’t know it is,’ he said.
The idea had first been mentioned by Independent Drogheda Cllr Paddy McQuillan some months ago. He told the most Drogheda JPC’s annual public meeting last week that Deputy Fergus O’Dowd had been assisting in bringing the matter to the attention of Minister Helen McEntee.