More guards ‘on the beat’ to tackle rise in assaults

Extra uniformed Gardaí will be deployed ‘on the beat’ on Galway’s streets in response to an increase in the number of assaults causing harm in the city.

Chief Superintendent Tom Curley said there were 60 serious assaults causing harm recorded in the first eight months of the year.

That represented eight more serious assaults, or a 15% increase compared with the same period last year.

There were some 181 minor assaults in that period, which is the same as the like-for-like months January to August in 2014.

Chief Supt Curley said that there was no particular pattern or reason for the increase in assaults causing harm, but in response he would increase visibility of Gardaí on the streets.

He said the local Garda crime analysts have detailed analysis of the assaults and can pinpoint that they are occurring more often on certain nights of the week and during certain hours.

The assaults are not occurring in one particular area of the city, he said.

Using that data, Chief Supt Curley said he would put more Gardaí on the streets to increase visibility during those times when assaults are more prevalent.

City councillor Donal Lyons (Ind) said during the weekend of the All-Ireland hurling final, Galway City hit the national headlines for wrong reasons, including serious assaults.

Cllr Lyons said without referring to any incident that may be before the courts he said it reflects badly on Galway when there are reports of serious assaults in national media. He said “it is worrying for people going into the city centre at night” when the level of serious assaults is increasing.

The local Garda report presented to latest Galway City Joint Policing Committee notes that the number of public order offences was on the decline in the city and Salthill. There were 693 public order offences recorded between January and the end of August of this year – that’s 89 fewer (-11%) compared with the same eight months in 2014. Chief Superintendent indicated there were just a handful of public order offences during Race Week.