Armed raid prompts renewed call for more Gardaí in Laois town

There have been renewed calls for additional gardaí in Portarlington in the wake of an armed raid on a business in the town.

Around six masked men armed with machetes, hammers and hatchets drugged a guard dog before breaking into a business and stealing vehicles valued at over €100,000 in Portarlington in the early hours of Saturday, April 4.

It was the latest major criminal incident to occur in the second biggest town in Laois in recent months. In January, two filling stations on the Main Street in Portarlington were held up by an armed robber.

Local Councillor Aidan Mullins and Portarlington Community Development Association Chairman Aidan Mullally are both calling for additional garda resources in the town.

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Cllr Mullins noted that “Portarlington Garda Station now has fewer Gardaí than 10 years ago. There were 13 members in 2016 while there are only 11 now”.

“I can’t understand why the numbers have dropped in the last five years”, said Cllr Mullins. He said the population of Portarlington has grown but “the station is only open a couple of hours a day”.

Cllr Mullins said anyone can see the regular warnings in the form of doorbell camera posts online which show people checking car and house doors in estates in Portarlington.

“It is obvious to me that there should be more civilian posts in the stations to free Gardaí to do their jobs”, he added.
He said the call for additional Gardai in the “second biggest town” in Laois isn’t new.

“This has been going on for years and nobody is listening,” he said.

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Chairman of Portarlington Community Development Association(PCDA) Aidan Mullally met with Gardaí in relation to policing resources in the town in February.

“The number of Gardai in the area for the size of the town is not adequate,” said Mr Mullally.

“We have asked about getting extra resources and we have been point blank told we won’t be getting any,” he revealed.

Mr Mullally said the PCDA requested additional policing resources be allocated to the town. The group explained that the Gardai who are posted there have to cover a large area around the town and can even be called to Clonaslee in the Slieve Bloom Mountains.

They presented a letter to Superintendent Brian Farrell and presented one for Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan.
It set out the concerns of PCDA and called for more policing in Portarlington.

“On behalf of the development association I am asking that a full review of Garda operations at Portarlington be undertaken with particular emphasis on a Garda Station that is open to the public during its stated opening hours. Opening hours to be extended so that an adequate service can be provided to the local community,” the PCDA stated.

“PCDA request that an inspector be stationed permanently at Portarlington, the growth of Porarlington over the last decade can easily justify the allocation of a Garda Inspector at Portarlington station, this in turn will benefit the overall management of Portarlington Garda Station,” they continued.

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The group sought an upgrade of facilities in Portarlington as they said there was nowhere in the station to hold prisoners.

“PCDA also request that an upgrade to Portarlington station to construct a holding cell to ensure that while a member of the public is detained that members of an Garda Siochana based in Portarlington do not have to leave their station to process any member of public who is detained, this would negate the practice of having to bring detainee to Portlaoise, process and release and then return to Portarlington,” they wrote.

Garda Superintendent Brian Farrell said “we are trying to increase visibility and engagement in all areas of Laois”.
He said “extra Gardaí have gone out to Portarlington of late… we have to look at an even spread of uniformed Gardaí across the district”.

“We are constantly reviewing the operational needs of members throughout Laois and the division of Laois Offaly,” Supt Farrell added.