More bike Gardaí for Sligo town

FUNDING is coming through to bring more bike Gardaí to Sligo.

That’s according to Chief Superintendent Michael Clancy.

He was responding to a motion on the issue proposed by Cllr Gino O’Boyle at the County Sligo Joint Policing Committee on Friday.

“We’re very much in favour of extending the bike patrols. They’re highly visual, they give the public assurance and they’re good at detecting anti- social behaviour such as drug use,” he said.

He said the only barrier to more bike Gardaí were resources but the Sligo Leitrim Division was getting more funding and Gardaí.

There are currently three bikes in the Sligo town area and usually two in use at any one time, members heard. They operate around the town and out to Strandhill and Grange.

David Tuffy asked if the bike Gardaí could be extended to the rest of the county, to which the Chief Superintendent replied that he’d like to see it rolled out across the entire Division.

Chief Superintendent Clancy said the main costs involved Garda training but the Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan recognised it as a valuable policing tool.

“Funding is coming through. Things are starting to improve,” he told members.

Chairperson Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady said: “The community like to see the Garda bikes because it’s a connection for people. It also gives the Garda a connection they wouldn’t have sitting in a squad car.”