A COMMUNITY GROUP which had been working with the late Garda Tony Golden to raise concerns about policing resources in the Dundalk district has written to the Garda Commissioner demanding action.
In an email, seen by TheJournal.ie, the Cooley Peninsula Community Alert Group, describes the murdered garda as “our friend”, and said he helped them two years ago with a detailed report on the struggles faced by gardaí in the area.
Garda Golden’s notes on issues with garda manpower were released by the group at the weekend.
The email to Nóirín O’Sullivan describes her words at the garda’s funeral as “well chosen and apt”. However the group says action is now needed to ensure the safety of other gardaí and the communities they serve.
Now please start speaking out for the safety of 12,000+ gardaí and the communities they operate in the hope that there will be no more photographs outside Superintendent [Gerry] Curley’s office in Dundalk or outside any other superintendent’s office around the country.
“Please address and correct the antiquated system that means that Tony and other gardaí feel they need to come to us to have their grave concerns for themselves and the communities they operate in highlighted and that Superintendent Curley and his colleagues will no longer have their concerns ignored.”
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland earlier, Johnny Larkin, chairman on the community group said gardaí nationwide are working under “severe, extreme difficulties”.
“We have elderly people, we have vulnerable people here and in case of any emergency if there’s no cars available in our own area, we’ve a 30 minute drive for the gardaí if available, if they have the numbers to get here,” he said.
The group is requesting a meeting with garda management to address their concerns.
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