Call for return of Community Alert Schemes in Donegal after increse in break-ins

There are calls to reinvigorate Community Alert Schemes across Donegal following a recent increase in burglaries in the area.

Community representative Joe Boland brought the matter to Wednesday’s meeting of the Donegal Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP).

Mr Boland, a member of the Donegal Public Participation Network (PPN), said that there are only four-five such groups active in the county now.

“We should do some kind of promotion to encourage communities to start one,” he said. “There has been an increase in break-ins and robberies and most of these are targeting the older generation in rural areas.

He also raised concerns over the poor quality and in some areas lack of public lighting, an issue he said that was ongoing “for months and months”.

Mary McGowan, who represents the Animals In Need group on the LCSP, said that a community alert scheme was being set up in Donegal Town.

Ms McGowan said that elderly people and vacant homes seem to be targeted following a recent spate of break-ins and attempted break ins.

“People are concerned about their safety and especially safety in their homes,” she said.

Garda Superintendent Karen Duffy said that Gardai were engaging with injured parties in relation to the recent burglaries.

Ballyshannon-based Superintendent Duffy said that advice is being given by Gardai and reassured people that “there is good work being done”.

She pointed to the recent court appearance of a man and two juveniles in relation to a spate of burglaries in the north west, including in Donegal.

James Lynch, a 44-year-old of Our Lady’s Place, Naas, County Kildare, and two juvenile males were remanded in custody.

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Superintendent Duffy said: “Crime prevention is key. In some instances, it can be as simple as not locking the front door. Years ago, people knew their neighbours, but we’ve had an increase in population now and a lot of people are renting houses.

“Letterkenny, for example, is a bigger town and will have a bigger anti-social problem than Bundoran or Killybegs. If we get into the statistics, it would be very difficult as it’s not a one size fits all solution.

“This is about all agencies working together to make communities safer.”