Acting Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys has been called on to detail plans for the expansion of a local community CCTV initiative in Carlow to deter criminal activity.
Making the calls, Carlow TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor said: “The rollout of community CCTV schemes across the country has benefitted many communities in helping people feel safer in their local communities.
“Communities across Carlow have been left feeling vulnerable as a result of the depletion of local Garda numbers and resources.
“Leighlinbridge Garda station for example, was shut down in 2013 and while funding was granted for the refurbishment works, and the Programme for Government included a ‘pilot programme of station re-openings’ throughout the country, including Leighlinbridge, the station remains closed.
“Rural crime has affected all of us, directly or indirectly. Furthermore, close proximity to the motorway means towns and villages across the county are attractive targets for criminals.
“I am calling on the minister to reopen the station as a matter of urgency,” the TD said.
CCTV initiatives have previously been a point of difficulty for rural communities, with a GDPR issue hindering efforts in the south of the country back in 2018. The matter has also been the subject of a report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality in recent years.