'Garda under-resourced' - claim

KILDARE GENERAL 20 March 2003: The detection rate for serious crimes has fallen in the Carlow/Kildare Division by 25% between 1998 and 2001. These offences include rape, robbery and aggravated burglary where firearms are used, robbery and aggravated burglary, house burglaries, and larcenies from shops and unattended vehicles.

The Division has the third lowest rate of detection in the country and is a full 8% below the National Average Detection Rate.

According to Deputy Emmett Stagg, this is a clear illustration that the Gardai in the Division are under-resourced. "What is the Government's response to crime in Kildare?" he asks. "The fact of the matter is that they have no response and are happy to let things roll on as heretofore. The promised 2000 additional Gardai are not being recruited - another election lie. Therefore the only answer is to redirect resources from areas where they do not have such a crime problem."

Story by
Bill Trapman

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