Waterford City Councillor David Cullinane (SF) has welcomed confirmation by Chief Garda Superintendent Pat Murphy that there has been an increase in the number of Community Gardai for Waterford City. He made the announcement at Monday’s meeting of the local Joint Policing Committee.
The Chief Supt also announced the roll out of community garda clinics in neighbourhoods across the city. Each of the seven neighbourhoods will have two full-time community guards with 8 more supplementary.
“This represents a huge step forward, a significant strengthening of community policing in Waterford City”, said Cllr Cullinane.
“Worryingly however”, he said, “Chief Superintendent Murphy also advised of an increase in heroine use in the city. He again made a direct correlation between that and an increase in burglaries and theft. We must do all we can to ensure that heroine does not take a foothold in Waterford. I have asked the Chief Superintendent to prioritise drug crime, allocate the appropriate resources and continue targeting serious drug dealers. The latter approach has already resulted in a significant increase in drug seizures in the city and this must continue”.
