Kildare Garda resources

Celbridge Life

It is reported that Kildare has the lowest Garda allocation in the country, the biggest growing crime rate and the lowest crime detection rate. Appeals for extra garda resources have fallen on deaf ears over the years and so those with an 'tendency for getting up to no good' have grown up in this county knowing that, to an extent, they can act with impunity. In my home town of Celbridge we thought the 24hr HQ in Leixlip might change things...it hasn't. Surely in this day and age with a town's population fast approaching 25,000 Celbridge should have a full time 24hr Garda station and patrol in the town? Then again we heard that they were reducing the force by 1400, what hope do we have!

jb-ski

Celbridge Life wrote: »

It is reported that Kildare has the lowest Garda allocation in the country, the biggest growing crime rate and the lowest crime detection rate.

?? Reported??
Where ? any credible sources for this?

thanks, jb

LeixlipRed

Sell the Garda station for scrap and put the resulting funds into doing something proactive to get these "hoodlums" off the street. What good are Gardai? If you seen one walking by your house would you feel safer? I wouldn't.

Celbridge Life

@jb - reported yes, to a residents association by both a Garda super and several politicians. All we can do is take their word for it.

Ken Tucky

Feel your pain Celbridge Life, I live there too and am amazed at what goes on there. Not only are the 'teens' a total headache but there is also the fear of break-ins to deal with now too.
At 6.30 am one Sunday morning i heard a load of shouting and screaming comming from the road outside. It woke my 18 month year old baby! These lads were beating the siht out of each other....
Cue the arrival of a squad car, i was thinking great! This should be good. One lad went over to the window had a word with the Gardai, they turned around and off they went leaving the lads to wake up the rest of the houses on the street!
It might not seem that bad but its every weekend and now i know why....The Gardai dont give a fukc.....

DWCommuter

jb-ski wrote: »

?? Reported??
Where ? any credible sources for this?

thanks, jb

http://www.kildare.ie/community/CatherineMurphy/2011/01/33_expansion_in_gardai_numbers.html

http://www.maynooth.org/?p=3087

Hope this helps.

jb-ski

DWCommuter wrote: »

http://www.kildare.ie/community/CatherineMurphy/2011/01/33_expansion_in_gardai_numbers.html

http://www.maynooth.org/?p=3087

Hope this helps.

Not really, I'm not questioning the Garda numbers issue.

I'm interested in proper evidence of increased crime & decreasing crime
detection rates.
Crime, as distinct from anti-social behavior which
is very annoying and sometimes intimidating, but
doesn't quite make us the crime capital of Ireland.

Is the political will really there to convict/fine people for public
drunkeness, post-pub fighting, 'boy racing', etc etc?
Will the Mammies & Daddies not object, after they've
taken their heads out of the sand?

E.G. The teen drinkers in Castletown House by the river really
piss me off, and can be intimidating, but hardly rates as serious 'criminality'.
I bet they are nice 'middle class' kids from decent estates who are bored
because 'there's nothing to do around here'.
So where's Mom & Dad?

Sorry for rant & hope I'm not proven wrong with evidence of
real crime in North Kildare.
(I can't afford to move to a safer area:) )

Joe Public

This shows Kildare as being in 2nd place, behind Dublin, for number of Burglaries.

http://burglaryreport.ie/burglary-report/

Celbridge Life

It's the fact that these louts can act almost with impunity that is most worrying. As a neighbour put it "if there's not enough gards to stop them drinking in forests and on public greens, then there's not enough gards to stop them from going on the rampage when they're drunk and stupid!". Of course none of this is the fault of Celbridge gardai. It must be extremely frustrating for them knowing that they're restricted in terms of what they can do.

LeixlipRed

What would you propose to allow them to do? Give them a few digs? This is a social problem caused by a lack of amenities and poor parenting. Those incompetent jokers shouldn't enter the equation.

DWCommuter

LeixlipRed wrote: »

What would you propose to allow them to do? Give them a few digs? This is a social problem caused by a lack of amenities and poor parenting. Those incompetent jokers shouldn't enter the equation.

Lack of amenities I don't buy, but poor parenting I agree with. Poor Parenting is a fundamental cause of social disorder. We can close off licenses early, restrict pub opening hours and waste money on campaigns that discourage crime and excessive drinking, but until we address the most basic issue, we are going nowhere. It all starts in the home.

E39MSport

From first hand experience I can report that around Donadea burglary has become a major worry/fear for the population. There are break-ins almost on a nightly basis. An old chap was tied up and beaten in his home not too long ago. The only time I ever saw a member of AGS around here was at the recent elections. People will most likely take the initiative in the absence of any protection by the state.

rondeco

Leixlip red is really impressing me with his/her ability to make me feel like an intellect.

LeixlipRed

rondeco wrote: »

Leixlip red is really impressing me with his/her ability to make me feel like an intellect.

Care to expand on that? I fundamentally oppose police/The Gardai on political grounds. How exactly is that displaying a lack of intellect? Or does anyone who disagrees with you display a lack of intellect?

LeixlipRed

DWCommuter wrote: »

Lack of amenities I don't buy, but poor parenting I agree with. Poor Parenting is a fundamental cause of social disorder. We can close off licenses early, restrict pub opening hours and waste money on campaigns that discourage crime and excessive drinking, but until we address the most basic issue, we are going nowhere. It all starts in the home.

And what's the fundamental cause of poor parenting?

Celbridge Life

I tend to agree with the lack of amenities to an extent. More facilities would 'dilute' the problem by occupying them but I honest feel that some of the little scrotes just have it built into them to cause aggro and no cinema, skatepark, swimming pool would deter them. Would love to be proven wrong though obviously. Again, I agree with the parenting angle...to an extent. I'd hazard a guess some of these 'youths' are little angels at home giving parents no reason to suspect them.

I wish the gards would start making examples by throwing one or two of them into the car, bringing them home, pointing out to the adults what their kids are up to. I also wish they had the power to somehow penalise the parents for whatever their kids vandalise, burn etc. All wishes I know and that's probably how they'll stay!

BaronVon

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Care to expand on that? I fundamentally oppose police/The Gardai on political grounds. How exactly is that displaying a lack of intellect? Or does anyone who disagrees with you display a lack of intellect?

What is your political opposition to policing?

LeixlipRed

I believe the police are only there to protect property and the ruling class. Sure, they solve the odd serious crime or two but these are all social problems, solve the social problems and the need for a police force disappears.

rondeco

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Sell the Garda station for scrap and put the resulting funds into doing something proactive to get these "hoodlums" off the street. What good are Gardai? If you seen one walking by your house would you feel safer? I wouldn't.

For a start, Gardai are great for protecting property and the ruling classes. Who else is gonna keep the underclasses from revolution?

LeixlipRed wrote: »

What would you propose to allow them to do? Give them a few digs? This is a social problem caused by a lack of amenities and poor parenting. Those incompetent jokers shouldn't enter the equation.

Why not?

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Care to expand on that? I fundamentally oppose police/The Gardai on political grounds. How exactly is that displaying a lack of intellect? Or does anyone who disagrees with you display a lack of intellect?

You made me feel intelligent, for a start, with your comment about selling the garda station for scrap. Would that be brick by brick and slate by slate? And yes, if I saw a garda outside my house, I would wager my mortgage that my house or its occupants will not be harmed for the duration of the garda being outside my house..

LeixlipRed wrote: »

I believe the police are only there to protect property and the ruling class. Sure, they solve the odd serious crime or two but these are all social problems, solve the social problems and the need for a police force disappears.

Would it not be better for us all to die and go to heaven where all social problems dont exist?

BuffyBot

The discussion re: the nature of policing is best done on another forum. Let's get back on topic folks!

Rosahane

LeixlipRed wrote: »

I believe the police are only there to protect property and the ruling class. Sure, they solve the odd serious crime or two but these are all social problems, solve the social problems and the need for a police force disappears.

Interesting! So, if as you argue, the majority of crime is a result of social problems how do you account for white collar crime

Celbridge Life

What do we think of neighbourhood watch groups? I'm not talking about an estate with the stickers in their doors and nothing more, but the groups that are active and 'watching'. I think they can do no harm but surely they're a bit limited eg: They're hardly going to be walking around the place at 4am looking for burglars! Having said that since we started ours it does seem to have galvanised the neighbours a bit more. We talk to each other alot more and when an alarm goes off someone actually takes a stroll around to the house and has a look!

Joe Public

If gardai didn't have so many calls re. misbehaving youths then they would have more time to deal with house breakins etc. I wonder what % of garda calls have to do with drunk and misbehaving youths?


This may be from an American site but the same holds for anywhere in the world and has a lot of truth to it.
http://liveunitedyall.org/2009/05/21/it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-child/

BaronVon

Celbridge Life wrote: »

What do we think of neighbourhood watch groups?

I doubt the sticker in the window would deter a would-be burglar, but keeping people alert in their area is no harm. The guards can't do anything without info from the public.

Inevitably they get taken over by nosey auld ones, and the rest of the initial committee drift off, so I'm told.

As a young fella I would have been hanging around the shops, smoking fags and drinking cans up by the canal. Never had any malice or intent in me. It's only when you get older you realise that just by hanging around, older people can feel intimidated by you.

No idea what's going on in Celbridge, but I'm sure these young folk are blissfully unaware their loitering is causing annoyance to local residents.

Joe Public

infacteh wrote: »

As a young fella I would have been hanging around the shops, smoking fags and drinking cans up by the canal. Never had any malice or intent in me. It's only when you get older you realise that just by hanging around, older people can feel intimidated by you.

No idea what's going on in Celbridge, but I'm sure these young folk are blissfully unaware their loitering is causing annoyance to local residents.

Respect is not what it used to be and instead of going out of the way for drinking it is often done close to houses and can be quite noisy. If neighbours ask them to move away or quieten down it's often answered with abusive foul language. Then the garda can get called.

Respect for the country can be poor also with loads of litter left behind.

You do have drinking groups who are better behaved and can have a bit of craic without causing disturbance to others.

DWCommuter

LeixlipRed wrote: »

And what's the fundamental cause of poor parenting?

I'd love to list them, but the mod has spoken and its OT.

E39MSport

Celbridge Life wrote: »

What do we think of neighbourhood watch groups? I'm not talking about an estate with the stickers in their doors and nothing more, but the groups that are active and 'watching'. I think they can do no harm but surely they're a bit limited eg: They're hardly going to be walking around the place at 4am looking for burglars! Having said that since we started ours it does seem to have galvanised the neighbours a bit more. We talk to each other alot more and when an alarm goes off someone actually takes a stroll around to the house and has a look!

I'm all for them but they're more wishful thinking than a reality (at least the ones you're talking about).

I live in a relatively isolated area near Donadea and always keep an eye/camera or 3 out. I text the neighbours if I see anything odd and they reciprocate.

I think if society in general was more aware of what's going aound them the Country would be a safer place and more than likely more prosperous.

DWCommuter

Major social disturbance in the Monread Avenue area of Naas tonight. Lasted well over an hour. Doesn't look like there was any Garda presence. It just fizzled out with car alarms going off, loud bangs that suggested property damage, screaming and shouting and screeching cars, etc. etc. Of course it may start up again later, unless they are all too drunk to continue.:D

This isn't the first time. Personally I'm in no doubt that Kildare Gardai are under resourced.

DWCommuter

E39MSport wrote: »

I'm all for them but they're more wishful thinking than a reality (at least the ones you're talking about).

I live in a relatively isolated area near Donadea and always keep an eye/camera or 3 out. I text the neighbours if I see anything odd and they reciprocate.

I think if society in general was more aware of what's going aound them the Country would be a safer place and more than likely more prosperous.

I agree 100% with you. Where I live in Naas, I've witnessed strangers and strange vehicles at various times. This has been followed by house break in's and car thefts. I've reported it to the Gardai with reg numbers. So yes, society has to be aware of whats going on around them. Tonight at 11.30pm as I came in from work I noticed two strange lads on our road. I phoned it in to the very busy Garda station and can only hope that tomorrow morning, no car is stolen or house broken into. If all this fails we may as well just buy a shot gun and shoot any scumbag that attempts to rob our property. I've a family to protect and personally would not think twice about doing it by any means possible.

DWCommuter

The major warfare I mentioned above has made the front page of the Leader.

E39MSport

DWCommuter wrote: »

The major warfare I mentioned above has made the front page of the Leader.

Coupled with some damning stats on Propserous from what I hear.