Longford garda resource calls resurface as figures show drug unit numbers below austerity era levels
Government bosses are coming under increasing fire to pump additional garda resources into Longford after a local TD revealed the number of drugs unit officers in situ across both it and neighbouring Roscommon to be below era of a decade ago.
According to figures obtained by Sinn Féin TD for Longford Westmeath, Sorca Clarke, five officers are operating within the Roscommon/Longford garda division's drugs division, one fewer than its overall figure of six a decade ago.
Ms Clarke secured the figures in a recent parliamentary question and immediately accused the Government of turning its back on rural towns like Longford.
“Drug dealing and addiction devastates far too many lives," she said.
"Much more needs to be done to clamp down on dealers who terrorise local communities and the lives of ordinary people living here."
Ms Clarke's comments come hot on the heels of a staunch rebuttal from senior garda management that Granard garda station could be in line for downgrading later this year.
Two new sergeants have been added to the ranks of Granard and Edgeworthstown alongside the addition of two mountain bikes to the District in an attempt to increase garda visibility.
Despite this, Ms Clarke said other facets of the Garda operating model are being overlooked.
“New figures show that for all the government’s lip service to tackling drug dealing, they have in fact failed to properly resource Garda drugs units so that there are sufficient staff to tackle this scourge.
“Staffing levels in drugs units in 2022 are below the 2009 the austerity-era lows, despite government claims to take this issue seriously. Staff in these units are trying their best to protect communities but they feel abandoned and let down by this government’s failure to invest.
“Some communities have been ravaged by drugs, something people on the ground knew would happen when resources where reduced because of the austerity cutbacks within the Gardaí. Communities have seen gangs emerge who felt they were untouchable and destroyed communities, those same communities are now living in fear of intimidation and harassment”.
“I am urging the government to get their act together and ensure that they invest in the Gardaí, so that they have appropriate staffing levels and resources in these drugs units. This is far too important an issue for the government to be penny-pinching and spinning that their level of investment is far more than it is. Ordinary, decent communities are being left to suffer as a result of the government’s mishandling of this issue. This cannot continue.”