Six new recruits assigned to Tallaght Garda Station
By Mary Dennehy
ON HIS second day in office, the new Garda Commissioner Drew Harris visited Tallaght Garda Station – where 20 new recruits have been assigned in the past five months and a further six due to arrive on September 21.
The new Garda Commissioner dropped out to Tallaght on Tuesday, September 4, for a general chat with local officers and a walk-around the station.
In recent days, the new Commissioner has spoken about resources and maximising the number of front line officers in the force, and no doubt the community in Tallaght is hopeful that their station will be adequately resourced in light of its ever-expanding catchment area.
Tuesday was a busy day for the team at Tallaght, who also staged a ‘day of action’, which saw around 16 people arrested in relation to ongoing investigations and for outstanding warrants.
Speaking with The Echo, Tallaght Superintendent Ian Lackey said that a number of people were arrested in relation to robberies, mainly commercial robberies at local premises such as shops and chemists.
According to Supt Lackey, the early morning anti-crime operation saw the Garda team prioritising outstanding arrests for serious offences.
A number of the arrests made involved repeat offenders, who were picked up by officers due to ongoing investigations into a number of crimes.
Tallaght Garda Station has staged a number of similar operations in recent months, with the first ‘day of action’ being held after the events surrounding Lidl in Fortunestown during Storm Emma.
As previously reported in The Echo, nine people were arrested in a targeted anti-burglary and crime operation in early March, with a further 16 people arrested for various offences and outstanding warrants in April.
Tallaght Garda Station has also received 20 new recruits since April of this year, with a further six officers expected to arrive on September 21.
“The majority of these young gardai will be with us for a two-year [training] period,” Supt Lackey said.
“We are able to maintain the numbers in community police, with the six [new officers expected in late September] being allocated to mainstream policing.
“The feedback and comments from the community has been good, we are hearing that there is greater visibility [in communities].”
Tallaght Garda Station is also hoping to be allocated further officers towards the end of the year.
