New Garda Chief Superintendent focused on safe roads and communities

Laois Offaly Garda Division’s new Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan was welcomed to his first Laois Joint Policing Committee meeting this week. 

Chief Supt Lonergan is a Tipperary native who had previously served as Garda Superintendent in Waterford. He replaces Chief Superintendent John Scanlan who retired in April having held the post for 11 years.  

“I am here now a couple of weeks and I am getting to understand the geography of the Garda Division that I am responsible for, getting to understand the challenges and the policing challenges that are out there and the policing response that is required,” he said.  

“Road safety and safety on the roads and making communities safer will be one of my key priorities around policing for the division,” he told the meeting.  

Another focus will be on maintaining garda visibility in the division, he said. 

“There is a lot of work that An Garda Siochana in Portlaoise and Laois engage in that is community driven, is community focused and it goes unheard of and is not acknowledged. 

Part of my style of policing is to acknowledge the work that my officers do day to day,” he remarked as he displayed images of gardai at recent events in Laois.  

“I have no problem taking the good and the bad. That’s why I am here and I will listen,” he added.  

Sinn Fein Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley welcomed the new Garda Chief Supt and said she looked forward to working with him in the future.  

“I would just like to take this opportunity to welcome the new chief and to wish him the very best of luck in his new position and just to assure you of my support,” she said. 

“I am absolutely delighted to hear you say that  you are prioritising safety in our communities,” she added.

Public Partnership Network representative Bobby Delaney also welcomed the new Chief Superintendent to Laois. He asked for more garda visibility and garda patrols on the streets. 

Chief Supt Lonergan said visibility was a priority and he would be using his resources to the best of his ability to maintain the presence on the streets and in communities.

“Visibility will be key. The method of deployment of resources will be key to how visible we are on the streets and it is about making best use of the resources we have,” explained Chief Supt Lonergan. 

Independent Cllr Ben Brennan also welcomed the new Chief Supt and he asked that gardai in Arles and Crettyard aren’t called to the “top end” of the county. 

“We need someone in the area the whole time,” he said. 

“I don’t envisage there will be any reduction in visibility in any of the areas within Portlaoise or county Laois,” said  Chief Supt Lonergan. 

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Fianna Fail Cllr Padraig Fleming also welcomed the new Garda Chief Supt to Laois and wished him well. 

“The team that you will have around you here in Laois is an excellent team. They work well with everybody,” he said. 

Sara Rasool also welcomed the new Chief Supt on behalf of the PPN members. 

She complemented the Community Gardai who she said were breaking down barriers in the diverse community. 

She said many people prefer to report crimes from their own homes rather than having to attend at a garda station. 

Chief Supt Lonergan thanked the committee members for their welcome. 

“I am glad to hear our community policing teams are making an impact positively within the community. That’s something that is very important,” he said. 

“The way to police is to police from within communities not from outside,” he said. 

Independent Cllr Aisling Moran wished the new Chief Supt the very best of luck. 

Garda Chief Supt  Lonergan urged all victims of crime to come forward and he asked that witnesses also work with Gardai. 

“From an overall perspective what I would encourage is a multi-agency, multi-stakeholder approach to community safety.”

“Prevention led safety should be our first priority and we will take the lead in that. Making community safety our first priority and making it a multi-stakeholder approach,” he told the gathering.