Gun crime in Limerick has dropped by 75 per cent in almost two years, according to the city’s most senior Garda.
Speaking at a meeting of Limerick’s Joint Policing Committee, Chief Supt Gerry Mahon revealed that the number of incidents involving the discharge of firearms is down from an “all time high” of 104 incidents in 2007 to 27 so far this year.
Chief Supt Mahon also revealed that overall crime in the Limerick Garda division has declined by 15 per cent compared to last year.
His comments follow a week where two serious incidents occurred in the city; one involving the discovery of a pipe bomb in the St Mary’s Park housing estate and a shooting incident in Southill in which a 27-year-old man was critically injured.
Two people are currently in custody charged in connection with these incidents.
Chief Supt Mahon moved to reassure City Councillors at the meeting that despite the events of recent days gardai in Limerick continue to make progress in their ongoing campaign against crime in the region. He said the armed Regional Response Unit has been maintaining an active presence on the streets and while the “level of threat increases and abates” the battle goes on every day.
“Some of our major gangland figures are in custody a the moment. In fact some of the most active ones are currently in prison but that doesn’t mean this is something that you can rest on, this is a battle that goes on every day,” he said.
Chief Supt Mahon also addressed concerns expressed by Labour Deputy Jan O’Sullivan that recent progress made by gardaí would be undermined by the recent retirement of a number of experienced members of the force.
“I can assure the city and the public out there we have people of equal calibre and knowledge, especially knowledge of the city and the criminal elements at work in Limerick ready, willing, and able to take their places,” he said. “Even though we are losing and potentially going to lose a lot of experienced people there are other people out there with the skill, knowledge and commitment."
According to Chief Supt Mahon, the numbers of Garda personnel currently based in Limerick is “greater than ever” and the 100 extra personnel assigned as a result of the issues, which led to regeneration, are “intact and out there”.
He also insisted that the Garda Commissioner is committed to maintaining numbers in the Limerick region. The meeting also heard that there is a number of CAB profilers based in Limerick who in contact with their counterparts in Dublin on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, incidents of assaults, harrassments and criminal damage in Limerick have all shown declines on last year’s figures while drug detections are up according to the latest statistics.