This article is from page 8 of the 2006-08-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
FUNDING provided to garda management in Clare under Operation Anvil is being refocused away from a special anti-crime unit which had been set up in June.
Several additional patrols and undercover operations took place by gardaí who were part of the special crime unit, over several weeks.
However, The Clare People has learned that there is to be an overhaul of the operation.
“We are refocusing the operation now,” said Chief Superintendent Liam Quinn. “The unit is continued in some parts of the Division. It is being re-evaluated and we will be relaunching it in the near future.”
The unit played a role in a sizeable number of drug seizures in Clare last month, and received much praise for this, among other crime detections it was involved in.
“There were a lot of inroads made in particular areas which were causing us problems, including burglaries, public order and thefts and we are happy with the progress,” added Chief Supt Quinn.
“It is a matter for us to make a business case and focus on a particular area,” he said.
He said two of the areas which are central focus currently are public order issues at weekends and traffic. The Traffic Corps is to be strengthened in the Division.
A new unit, consisting of a sergeant and five gardai, will compliment the existing garda traffic corps in the county. It will be based in Killaloe and will focus primarily in East Clare.