Traffic light thieves target Minister’s car

March 1996

Wexford’s Environment Minister, Brendan Howlin, and Deputy Hugh Byrne bother learned first hand about Dublin crime recently when property was robbed from 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 attacked the Minister’s state 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 yet 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 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 spot 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 telling the young thief 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 disappeared into the block of flats.

Deputy Byrne said he had heard of such incidents in Dublin before, but had not experienced it previously. He also noted that traffic light crime has turned even more sinister recently, with thieves throwing rats into cars in an effort to startle the drivers before they make off with property.

‘My car will be locked when travelling around Dublin from now on,’ he said.