OVER A DOZEN gardaí rushed to the scene of what they believed to be an armed robbery only to find a group of Transition Years teenagers making a student film.
A number of both uniformed and armed officers were dispatched to Causeway in Kerry after being alerted by a member of the public on Wednesday night who thought they were witnessing a crime in progress.
Causeway Comprehensive had sought permission from the local shop owner to film the production but the school forgot to notify the local gardaí.
Speaking on Radio Kerry, Inspector Liam Wallace from Listowel garda station said a large amount of resources were sent to the village. However, he warned that the miscommunication could have left gardaí short in case a real incident had occurred elsewhere at the time.
He said: “You are talking about armed units from both Listowel and Tralee and uniformed gardaí from both Ardfert and Listowel. At least in and around 14 people were sent.
“In this instance there was a slight break-down of communication. A simple phonecall to us in advance could potentially save us a lot of trouble and a lot of difficulty. Our concern is that, while we have resources attending at that particular incident, they might have been required elsewhere.”
The school’s vice principal Anne-Marie Hassett apologised for not notifying officers.
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