Gardai need more cars

GARDAI in Galway need at least eight more patrols cars to do their job properly, and the local police chief is continuously pressing for them.
The shortage of vehicles came up at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) last week.
During a debate on whether the public were better served by Gardaí out patrolling the countryside or manning small and rarely used local stations, Abbeyknockmoy councillor Pete Roche commented “There’s no point in a Garda sitting around in a rural station twiddling his thumbs waiting for someone to arrive in and report a cow on the road or a wheelbarrow stolen from the bog.”
Chief Supt Tom Curley left the members in no doubt as to his preference.
He stated that he wanted to see Gardaí out making their presence felt, offering comfort to citizens and a disincentive to criminals who never knew where they would run into a patrol.