A LIMERICK TD has urgently appealed for additional Garda resources locally as Gardaí monitored school runs in a bid to curb tensions among rival feuding groups in the city.
The simmering drugs turf feud in the city has also resulted in Gardaí issuing several Garda Information Messages (GIMs) to individuals of a potential credible threat to their lives, in parallel to a surge in pipe bomb attacks, petrol bombings, and drive-by shootings.
Garda headquarters told Limerick Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan that, “as part of the policing response” to the present feuding, it established Operation Gealbhan consisting of “regular armed and high visibility uniform patrols of the affected areas which targets individuals involved while ensuring the local community receive an appropriate policing presence and service”.
The Community Policing Unit also conduct patrols in the vicinity of a named local national school at school drop off and collection times, Gardaí told Deputy Quinlivan.
The Limerick TD praised the Garda measures, however added that requirement for Garda patrols near any school was an “appalling” reflection of the level of the violence being perpetrated currently.
“I have a concern, and I have expressed this on a number of occasions, that people will be killed,” Deputy Quinlivan said.
Gardaí said that community policing units were also playing “a significant role” in “establishing positive initiatives, aimed at diverting young people away from criminal gangs by getting them involved in positive initiatives and influencing them to follow a different path in life”.
Gardaí also said that a “reallocation of resources into community policing in the these areas and the city centre has had a positive impact recently”.
Last August, 20 new Garda recruits were deployed to Limerick City, however, Deputy Quinlivan said additional experienced Garda manpower was also urgently needed to further curb the violence.
“I know that a number of people, who have been attacked and have had their property damaged, have no involvement whatsoever in criminality, but they might be related to somebody (who is), and it might not even be a very close relationship,” he said.
“More Garda numbers need to be allocated into Limerick as a matter of urgency.”
The Sinn Féin TD said any potential violence near schools “would be a new low” in the present feuding, and appealed to those involved in the feud to “stay away from schools”.
Gardaí said “significant work” was done “in relation to the investigation of crimes associated with a high profile feud which has resulted in numerous detections and prison sentences for those involved”.
They added that “charges have also been preferred” against a number of individuals resulting in them “being held on remand in prison awaiting trial”.
Despite the recent Garda crackdown, violent attacks associated with the feud have continued.
Gardaí said the “resourcing requirements” of each Garda Division was “closely monitored on an ongoing basis” and that “the allocation of additional personnel in respect of the Limerick Garda Division will be considered in the context of the overall policing needs and operational priorities of the organisation and the divisions concerned”.