JPC meeting hears update on crime figures for Leitrim

Inspector Carla Curry spoke at the latest County Leitrim Joint Policing Committee meeting during which she gave details of crime updates in Leitrim for the last quarter and revealed that in March, during a joint operation with the RSA, a driver was stopped and a large quantity of cocaine costing in excess of €35,000 was discovered.  

She also revealed that three travelling criminals were arrested in Carrick-on-Shannon for handling counterfeit notes and "had attempted to pay for goods in four businesses in the town and were involved in similar instances in Longford."

Two suspects were charged and one is a juvenile who is being dealt with by the juvenile liaison system. 

She said that on April 19, a number of searches were carried out in Manorhamilton and Carrick-on-Shannon under warrant in relation to an investigation into suspected fraud and money laundering. A number of items were seized and a file is currently being prepared for the DPP.

On January 11, a suspect stole a vehicle outside a residential property and was later apprehended in Dublin and charged with six counts of dangerous driving, three counts of endangerment, among other charges.

In January also, there were a number of thefts from shops and, using CCTV footage, a suspect is to appear before the courts. 

She also revealed that a male appeared before Carrick-on-Shannon district court in January charged with 17 instances of theft-related offences and received a two month detention. 

She said there were 16 instances of drug seizures in Leitrim in the last quarter involving small quantities of cannabis and cocaine. 

In March, a house in Ballinamore was searched and a quantity of cash and cannabis found with two suspects identified and investigations ongoing. 

During a report on crime statistics, she revealed that burglaries are down 35% from 20 to 13 from figures last year and theft from MPVs instances rose by four from three last year to seven this year.  

Insp Curry continued that theft from other property is down three from ten to seven, and assault causing harm instances are down two from 11 to nine. 

Minor assault cases also reduced this year from 14 last year to 13 this year.

Sexual offences went from two to zero this year and public order offences went up 10 from 22 to 32 this year. 

Insp Curry said that this was down to "the proactive patrols that are being taken in relation to tackling public order whereby fines on the spot are being issued". 

Possession of drugs for sale or supply went up by two and the number of fatal traffic collisions still stands at zero. 

She said that drug driving arrests were up 34% from last year from eleven to 32 incidents. 

Leitrim Gardaí team

She also noted that in Leitrim there are 77 Gardaí, 20 Sergeants and three Inspectors, with ten Garda support staff. 

There are six detective Gardaí and one detective sergeant with eight Gardaí in the Divisional Protective Services Unit (DPSU) and one DPSU sergeant, and three in the drugs unit.