LOUTH LOCAL AUTHORITIES / AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA
Drogheda Joint Policing Committee
Minutes of meeting held in The Governors House, Millmount, Drogheda
on Monday 26th September 2011 at 7.00pm
Present:LOCAL AUTHORITY
Elected Members:
Cllrs. F. Maher (Chairman), M. O’Dowd, M.
Coogan, F. Gallagher, P. Smith, P. Bell, K.
O’Heiligh, D. Wilton, I. Munster, Oliver Tully
Officials:
J. Martin, Director of Services
P. Donnelly, Senior Executive Officer
AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA
Superintendent Gerard Smith
OIREACHTAS MEMBERS
COMMUNITY & VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Ms. Marie Russell
Ms. Nuala Earley
Mr. John Crilly
Apologies:
Deputy G. Nash T.D
Deputy S. Kirk, TD
Inspector Brendan Cadden
---------------------------------------------1.
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting held on 30th May 20011 were agreed on the
proposal of Cllr. Gallagher and seconded by Ms. Marie Russell.
2.
Matters Arising
Superintendent Smith confirmed that he would with his colleagues in the
Traffic Corp increase the number of traffic control measures and the use of
the speed cameras in the Termonfeckin road area and he confirmed that
there were a number of covert speed surveillance operating on a ongoing
basis in the area and the percentile compliance report on same would be
presented at a future meeting.
3.
Update from Local Authority
The Chairman accepted a vote of sympathy and recommended same be
extended to the Maguire family on the death of their daughter Emily.
The Chairman referred to correspondence from Mr. Noel Brett, C.E.O., Road
Safety Authority, congratulating the Joint Policing Committee and all
concerned on the Road Safety Initiative and confirmed that that success of
the event was such that the model was now being used as a template for
similar events throughout the Country. It was proposed that a letter of Thanks
be sent to Mr. Kevin Condren for his support in ensuring the success of the
Road Safety Initiative.
4.
Update from Garda Siochana
Superintendent Smith updated the meeting on Garda activities since the last
meeting, he outlined that a large number of his staff had been involved of both
the visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama. He also highlighted a
number of key events that the Gardai were involved in policing, including an
Orange Order event in Oldbridge, “I Am Wal”l Yellowbatter, the
announcement of the Junior and Leaving Certificate results among others.
The Superintendent also highlighted a very successful operation executed by
his staff at Riverbank housing estate where 25 young people were located
and there was a large quantity of alcohol seized.
An event in which 220 Junior Certificate students attended, a disco/party
hosted by the Community Policing Unit was also highlighted to the Members
and received high commendation for the initiative. .
In relation to crime statistics, the Superintendent outlined that burglaries were
down 23% at the end of August, theft from shops was also down by 12%, theft
from motor vehicles was also down by 33%, as was criminal damage down by
3%, assaults were reduced by 42%. Unfortunately the rape statistic increased
by 50% to two cases. Section 3 offences were down by 37%, that is
possession of drugs for personal use, with section 15 arrests up by 18% that
is possession of drugs with intent to supply. Superintendent also highlighted
that at market stalls there had been a number of seizures, totalling €47,000
worth of illegal DVDS and €54,000 worth of illegal cigarettes. Superintendent
contributed the reduction in crime statistics to high visibility policing in town
centres, which included 750 inspections of public bars and 73 information
visits to schools in the area.
Superintendent Smith also advised that the Tom Connolly memorial athletics
competition in memory of the first Community Garda would be held shortly,
Hosted by the Community Policing Unit, they expected over 400 pupils
involved in mini Olympics type games. The Chairman commended the
Community Policing Unit for this initiative.
A discussion around the number and location of street benches was
contributed by most Members in which it was agreed the matter would be kept
under review.
5.
Louth Garda Division Older Peoples Strategy –
Implementation Plan 2011 – Chief Superintendent Pat McGee
This matter was deferred until a further date.
6.
Diesel Laundering
Joan Martin, Director of Services, highlighted the issue of diesel laundering in
certain areas and that the matter had been discussed at the Joint Policing
Committee Steering Group and this matter had also been raised at Council
level, and it was important that information relating to this increasing practice
was brought to the attention of the Members of the Committee. Diesel
laundering is undertaken to remove the marker dye from cheaper agricultural
diesel and to use it as road diesel. Substantial profits were to be gained from
this illegal activity which resulted in an extensive loss of revenue to the
Exchequer and a high clean up cost that the Local Authority were currently
having to recoup from the Department of The Environment , Community and
Local Government. The problem in the Border areas is historic, but there is
evidence that the activity is now spreading to other Counties. A comparison
was made between 2008 when 7 such incidents were dealt with by staff of
Louth County Council and to date June 2011 the Council staff had dealt with
20 such incidents, a further comparison was made where in 2008, 4 x 40ft
containers of this sludge from diesel laundering were dealt with compared
with, at the end of June 2011 already 6 such containers had been dealt with,
showing a 33% increase on 2010 activities, which had shown an 87%
increase on the previous year.
The residues from such diesel laundering, is a hazardous material and has to
be dealt with and disposed of at a facility in Germany. This necessitated the
transport of the waste to the Councils Machinery Yard, the repackaging of the
containers, the transport to a transfer station in Dublin for shipping to
Germany and the treatment of the waste in the hazardous waste facility in
Germany. To June 2011 the Council had expenditure of €384,000 in relation
to sludge clean up and while currently the Department refunds the Council for
the costs incurred in this cleanup, it could not be expected that this could
continue. The projected cost for dealing with the expected 730 tonne waste in
2011 could be closer to €800,000 by year end. It is the Councils view that a
multi agency approach is required in dealing with the problem and the
meeting were advised to this end the Council had highlighted the extent of the
problem in Louth to the City and County Managers Association Environment
Committee, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local
Government. The Garda Northern Region Multi Region Committee and the
Cross Border Fuel Enforcement Group which includes the Garda Siochana,
PSNI, Revenue, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Services, The Criminal
Assets Bureau, The National Transfrontier Shipment Office and the Northern
Ireland Environment Agency.
7.
Public Meeting
The Chairman advised the Members that as was a requirement under the
Policing Committee Act that a public meeting should be held every year, to
allow the General Public access to Senior Officials from the Local Authority
and the Garda Siochana, together with Member’s of the Joint Policing
Committee in a public forum where their concerns and queries could be
addressed. It was agreed that the November meeting be held on Monday 14 th
November at 6.00p.m. and this be followed by a public meeting at a venue to
be arranged. The theme of the meeting would be ‘Working Towards
Community Safety’.
There would be no other business, the meeting concluded.
Confirmed at Meeting held on: ____________________
Chairman:
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Meetings Administrator:
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