INDEPENDENT councillor Ursula Gavan called for a significant share of the increased Garda resources promised to Limerick to go to the Castletroy, Annacotty, and Castleconnell area.
This, Cllr Gavan told the Limerick Post, follows a recent spike of anti- social behaviour and car break-ins across the area.
At a recent neighbourhood meeting, which took place at Aisling Annacotty FC, a number of residents expressed frustration at a “lack of Garda resources”, and expressed concerns over personal safety, Cllr Gavan said.
Summarising the sentiment of the meeting, she said that “people love the area but are increasingly exasperated by the increase in crime. It’s great to see communities uniting in the face of these challenges, with plans for estate BBQs and local clean ups in the pipeline”.
“I welcome the commitments to strengthen Garda numbers, but it must now be matched with action. There still is no announcement of a site for the planned new Garda station. Despite all the promises, it will clearly take years for a station to be operational.”
Locals and businesses, Cllr Gavan told this newspaper, are also calling for increased Garda visibility in the area to reassure the locality.
“Castletroy/Annacotty is one of the fastest growing suburbs in the country with the population due to grow by 40,000 in the next 20 years, according to CSO figures, so we need to be proactive now. An increase in Gardaí in Castletroy, Annacotty, Castleconnell will help protect residents, support local businesses, and maintain public confidence,” she said.
