Local Knowledge The Key To Preventing Rural Crime

With regard to the campaign launched this week, to once again highlight rural crime, while this is a very welcome campaign, evidence from recent crimes proves that gangs carrying out crimes in rural areas are getting their information for local sources. I have said this many times before, but we have to return to a situation where there is a local Garda gathering local knowledge in the community. We can employ the latest in security technology but local knowledge is the key to solving the vast majority of these crimes. The Gardaí need to impress on the Minister the importance of community based Gardaí and the Minister needs to listen to community leaders in rural Ireland and to many retired members of the Gardaí who are constantly emphasising the importance of having Gardaí on the ground in rural communities