Galway Councillor’s crime fears after Garda station downgrade

There are fears South Galway and North Clare will experience a sharp spike in crime following confirmation that Gort Garda Station has been downgraded.

Residents in rural areas and villages surrounding Gort, and businesses in the town, are alarmed since Gort Garda District headquarters was demoted to a sub-district station of Loughrea Garda District.

The latest County Galway Joint Policing Committee meeting heard of widespread concern over the loss of Gort’s superintendent as a result of the decision to downgrade Gort.

“The perception out there is that Gort is ‘easy pickings’ for gangs to travel from around the country,” said Galway County Councillor, Joe Byrne, who raised the matter.

He explained that Gort used to be a district headquarters with a superintendent like Loughrea, Tuam, Ballinasloe, Salthill, Galway and Clifden; now it is a sub-district with just a sergeant.

Cllr Byrne said there used to be four superintendents in North Clare, who would be available in the event of an incident in South Galway but now there are only two, and this has ‘diluted’ policing of the area.

He said even if the level of policing has remained the same, the downgrading of the station and the loss of a superintendent has compounded the feeling of fear on the ground.

“Garda response times can be slow . . . the patrol car could be in Portumna and there could be an issue in Kinvara, an hour away,” said Cllr Byrne.

But Galway’s top Garda has moved to assured the public in South Galway that the area is adequately policed.

Galway Garda Chief Superintendent confirmed Gort had been regarded to a sub-district but he said the superintendent in Loughrea would be spending part of the working week based out of Gort Garda Station, a move that was welcomed by Cllr Byrne.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.