Pair die in game tragedy
FEARFUL RESIDENTS FUME OVER LACK OF GARDA STATIONS
POLICE in California are investigating the deaths of a woman and her twoyear-old son after they fell from the third level of a baseball stadium.
The woman (40) and the boy fell from the third level concourse — the equivalent of six storeys high — at Petco Park as thousands of fans headed inside for a Padres game.
The names of the pair, who both lived in San Diego, were not released.
The child’s father was at the stadium when the deaths occurred, police reported.
THREE of Ireland’s biggest towns have no Garda stations for most of the day, we can reveal.
Bettystown- Laytown, Co Meath; Carrigaline, Co Cork; and Newcastle West, Co Limerick, have little or no Garda presence from one end of the week to the other — leaving residents living in fear.
Local TDs blame Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for failing to protect citizens and are demanding new stations as a matter of urgency.
Bettystown and Laytown have a population of 22,000 people and are served by a tiny Garda station open for 20 hours a week.
If they need urgent assistance they have to ring Ashbourne, 33km away.
The nearest Garda station to them is Drogheda in Co Louth, which is only 8km away but no longer covers east Meath.
Drogheda and East Meath TD Imelda Munster claimed people in Bettystown and Laytown feel abandoned and there has been a significant increase in antisocial behaviour, drug crime and serious unprovoked attacks.
Open
She said: “The Garda Commissioner is aware of the situation but chooses to ignore it. Who in their right mind can justify having to call Gardai 33km away if something happens. We need a new Garda station in the area.”
Carrigaline has a population of 20,000 but TD Donnchadh O Laoghaire said its Garda station is hardly ever open.
And it does not have a computer aided dispatch CAD system which means when a
Garda reports an incident they must then ring it into the area HQ in Cork city, 16km away.
Mr O Laoghaire fumed: “It is absurd for a town of its size not to have a Garda station that is properly equipped.
“It is also very rarely open. The station now has fewer gardai than it had a year ago and has no prison transport.”
Newcastle West is the largest town in Co Limerick with a population
of 7,000 and is served by two Garda stations — Askeaton 20km away looks after admin while all calls reporting crimes are diverted to control in Limerick overnight. Independent Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghue s aid: “Despite covering an area of more than 40sq km, Newcastle West does not have a Garda station. The whole thing is all over the shop and is not satisfactory. “We need to know when the new Garda station will commence and when it will be open.” Last night a Garda spokesperson said: “Some Garda stations are opened on reduced hours to facilitate administrative functions to the public. “Outside of these hours, gardai continue to operate from these stations, are involved in community engagement, investigations and are available to respond to assist the public.”