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Broughan & McDowell Welcome New Donaghmede Safety Forum & Warn Of Bogus Callers

Issued : Monday 18 January, 2010

Local Dublin North East Labour Deputy Tommy Broughan and Local Labour Area Rep Brian McDowell have welcomed agreement from Dublin City Council for a Labour proposal for a new local area policing and safety forum for Donaghmede Parish, Dublin 13.

Deputy Broughan is a member of both Dublin City Council and Fingal County County Council’s Policing Forums. Donaghmede Labour Area Rep Brian McDowell asked Deputy Broughan on behalf of Donaghmede Estate Residents’ Association (D.E.R.A) and Donaghmede residents to establish a local area policing and safety forum for Donaghmede parish. "Local residents are rightly very concerned about increased incidents of burglary, ongoing anti-social behaviour and the appalling recent incidents of gangland crime and associated thuggery", said Deputy Broughan.

Similar local safety forums are already in operation in Darndale Belcamp and Priorswood; Clongriffin and Edenmore parishes.

Deputy Broughan attended this week’s meeting of the North Central Joint Policing Sub-Committee which is facilitated by Dublin City Council local area staff and Gardai from the City North Central Area under Chief Superintendent Gerry Phillips. Following a wideranging and useful discussion at today’s sub-committee, Dublin City Local Area Managers Celine Reilly and Elaine Mulvenny supported a call from Deputy Broughan and other Labour representatives for a Donaghmede Area Safety Forum. Unfortunately the Donaghmede Safety Forum will not be up and running until the Autumn (due to overstretched City Council resources) and will have its first formal meeting in September.

Welcoming the decision Deputy Broughan said, "I hope that this may also be the first step towards a separate Garda station for Donaghmede and the North Fringe given the long standing campaign by D.E.R.A. and other local residents which I have always strongly supported."

Deputy Broughan and Local Area Rep McDowell also backed warnings from the Garda for local householders to be extremely cautious about bogus callers who are particularly targeting senior citizens and other vulnerable householders. Deputy Broughan and Area Rep McDowell have been informed by local Gardai that there has been a spate of recent incidents where bogus callers have pretended to be council officials, gardeners or other valid callers in order to access the home and potentially rob the vulnerable householder. "This is a despicable practice and I hope all local residents will be on high alert about bogus callers", said Deputy Broughan.

Local Gardai have also advised residents if they have access to the internet to check

www.garda.ie for updates in this regard.