Dublin, 2 June 2011: An Garda Síochána will be supporting safety in the community over the June bank holiday weekend, through a proactive information campaign and a presence at a range of events taking place around the country.
The ‘Supporting Safer Communities’ campaign, which is running until 6 June 2011 will see Gardaí all over Ireland actively engage and work with all sections of the community, to achieve improved safety across the community as a whole. Gardaí are asking members of the public to assist them by taking responsibility for safety in the communities where they work, live and socialise to prevent crimes from taking place and to improve road safety.
Chief Superintendent Annemarie McMahon, Community Relations and Community Policing, An Garda Síochána, said:
"As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. This campaign will give practical advice to people all over Ireland so they can take steps to improve safety for themselves and others, to reduce crime and the opportunities for crime and keep themselves and other road users safe. Visit the Garda website to learn more about crime prevention.”
As part of the campaign, Gardaí are appealing to all road users to stay safe over the holiday weekend to prevent unnecessary tragedy and heartache. Over one third of our road deaths occur over the summer months, so Gardaí are reminding people to put safety first this bank holiday weekend, remembering that everybody has a part to play in keeping our roads safe.
Sergeant Jim McAllister of the Road Safety Unit in the Garda National Traffic Bureau said:
"Inappropriate speed is the biggest single factor in fatal and serious collisions. Always travel at a speed that enables you to stop in the distance you can see ahead of you to be clear, regardless of the speed limit. Slow down when weather and road conditions deteriorate or when visibility is reduced. Reduce your speed where there are likely to be pedestrians, especially at night on unlit roads. Nine out of ten pedestrians will die when struck by a car travelling at 60kph or more. Don’t make this bank holiday memorable for the misery which is caused by carnage on our roads.”
As the bank holiday weekend provides opportunities to socialise and visit family and friends, Gardaí are warning road users about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Sergeant McAllister said:
"Alcohol takes time to process through your body - one unit of alcohol, the equivalent of half a pint of beer, takes an hour. This is especially important the morning after so take this into consideration if you’re driving anywhere the morning after you’ve been drinking, even if your journey’s only a short one. Alcohol and drugs will seriously impair your ability to drive and effect your judgement, reactions, vision and ability to make decisions.”
In addition to appealing for safe behaviour on the roads, Gardaí are advising people to ensure their homes are adequately secured against burglaries. While data from 2004 to 2010 shows that there was a drop in residential burglaries during the summer months, An Garda Síochána is committed to improving on this positive trend in 2011 and are offering some practical advice to assist people to prevent these crimes from taking place.
Chief Superintendent Annemarie McMahon, said:
"We want to make people aware of the ways they can prevent their homes from being burgled. The statistics show that one in three burglaries take place through the front door so make sure you lock up when leaving the house and if you have a security alarm, use it, even if you’re only leaving for a short period. If you will be away for a longer period, consider asking a friend or neighbour to check on your house from time to time.”
Chief Superintendent McMahon added:
"Many burglaries are opportunistic, taking place when somebody spots an easy way to gain entry to your home. If a burglar has to make a lot of noise, spend a lot of time or risk being seen, the chances are they won’t bother. A good rule of thumb is the ‘three minute delay’ test: if you can deny entry for three minutes or more, the chances are that the burglar will go elsewhere.”
Gardaí will organise a number of activities throughout Ireland during the campaign, in order to reinforce the campaign messages, including:
‘Supporting Safer Communities’ posters on Luas and Dublin Bus;
‘Supporting Safer Communities’ stand at Bloom garden festival in Phoenix Park, Dublin;
Leaflets and posters on keeping your property safe produced by the Irish Crimestoppers Trust;
Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch meetings taking place nationwide during the campaign;
Crime prevention and community safety advice leaflets available to the public in several forums, including Public Libraries and the Garda Website;
A number of strategic nationwide ‘High Visibility’ Policing initiatives involving the Garda Traffic Corps, Garda Mounted Unit, Crime Prevention Officers and the new Garda Mobile Incident Command Units.
The campaign will also provide advice to the community on other crime prevention topics, including theft from vehicles, theft of pedal cycles, and theft of farm machinery, as these types of crimes tend to increase over the summer months.
To request an interview, please contact by email the Garda Press Office
Tel: 01 666 2071
Email: pressoffice@garda.ie
Further information on crime prevention is available at www.garda.ie