This article is from page 1 of the 2012-05-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
CLARE’S most senior garda has acknowledged the “widespread” problem of fuel theft in Clare.
Chief superintendent of the Clare Garda Division John Kerin said yesterday that gardaí had received an estimated 40 reports of fuel theft so far this year. He said roughly 25 report referred to the theft of home heating oil while around 15 to 20 concerned theft of fuel from cars.
He explained, “It is fairly widespread, right across the country and people are using sophisticated methods.”
Chief Supt Kerin was speaking at a meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC) in Clare County Council.
There have been calls for greater use of the community text alert scheme to halt the rise of robberies in rural parts of the county.
Speaking yesterday, Chief Supintendnent of the Clare Garda Division, John Kerin, said there had been 14 more burglaries in Clare over the first three months of 2012 compared to the same period last year.
The number of assaults was down from 302 in 2010 to 225 last year. There were 36 incidents of arson in 2011, while gardaí in Clare dealt with 46 sexual offences.
Clare’s most senior garda also confirmed that the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is carrying out investigations in the Clare area.
There have been 440 garda checkpoints set up in Clare during the first four months.
Chief Supt Kerin added, “I want to get guards out of the station and onto checkpoints.”
Councillors backed proposals to extend the use of community text alert schemes to all parts of the county.
The meeting also heard that there had been 41 garda retirements in Clare since 2010.