Gardaí monitoring Limerick school runs in bid to keep lid on feud between rival families

David Raleigh

A Limerick TD urgently appealed for additional Garda resources locally as gardaí monitored school runs in a bid to curb tensions among rival feuding families in the city.

The simmering drugs turf feud in the city has also resulted in gardaí issuing several Garda Information Messages (GIMs) to individuals of a potential credible threat to their lives, in parallel to a surge in pipebomb attacks, petrol bombings, and drive-by shootings.

Garda Headquarters told Sinn Féin TD, Maurice Quinlivan, that, “as part of the policing response” to the present feuding, it established “Operation Gealbhan” consisting of “regular armed and high visibility uniform patrols of the affected areas which targets individuals involved while ensuring the local community receive an appropriate policing presence and service”.

“The Community Policing Unit also conduct patrols in the vicinity of [named] National School at school drop off and collection times,” gardaí said, responding to the Limerick TD’s concerns.

Deputy Quinlivan praised the Garda measures, and said the requirement for garda patrols near any school was an “appalling” reflection of the level of the violence being perpetrated.

“I have a concern, and I have expressed this on a number of occasions, that people will be killed,” Deputy Quinlivan said.

Gardaí said that community policing units were also playing “a significant role” in “establishing positive initiatives, aimed at diverting young people away from criminal gangs by getting them involved in positive initiatives and influencing them to follow a different path in life”.

Gardaí also said that a “reallocation of resources into community policing in the these areas and the city centre has had a positive impact recently”.

Last August, 20 new Garda recruits were deployed to Limerick City, however, Deputy Quinlivan said additional experienced garda manpower was also urgently needed to further curb the violence.

“It’s clear that Limerick needs more policing, we just don't have enough policing to deal with the threat and some of these threats are very very serious,” the Limerick TD said.

“We have seen incidents of shootings, petrol bomb attacks, pipebomb attacks, and people are really really scared and there has been an upsurge of criminality,” he said.

“I know that a number of people, who have been attacked and have had their property damaged, have no involvement whatsoever in criminality, but they might be related to somebody (who is), and it might not even be a very close relationship.”

“The gardaí are doing their best, but they can’t be there all the time, and they can’t respond to everything if they don't have enough numbers; more Garda numbers need to be allocated into Limerick as a matter of urgency.”

Deputy Quinlivan said a previous feud in Limerick was ignited after an attempted murder outside another local school in 2000.

The Sinn Féin TD said any potential violence near schools “would be a new low” in the present feuding, and he appealed to those involved in the feud to “stay away from schools”.

“It should never happen anyway, regardless, and it is unfortunate, but it is a sign of the times that gardaí have to maintain a presence at school drop-off and at collection times, and it is very disappointing and disheartening,” Deputy Quinlivan said.

“The staff at that school are doing their best in difficult circumstances, and the areas in question are populated by huge numbers of people who have retired after they worked all their lives, and they deserve to live in peace, and it’s also not fair on kids to see gardaí at their school (in that way), and I hope that it doesn't become normalised.”

Gardaí said “significant work” was done “in relation to the investigation of crimes associated with a high profile feud which has resulted in numerous detections and prison sentences for those involved”.

They added that “charges have also been preferred” against a number of individuals resulting in them “being held on remand in prison awaiting trial”.

Despite the recent garda crackdown, violent attacks associated with the feud have continued.

Operation Gealbhan is being supported by Divisional, Regional and National Units including the Limerick Divisional Roads Policing Unit and Drugs Unit, as well as specialist armed Gardai attached to both the Armed Support Unit (ASU) and Emergency Response Unit (ERU).

Gardaí said the “resourcing requirements” of each Garda Division was “closely monitored on an ongoing basis” and that “the allocation of additional personnel in respect of the Limerick Garda Division will be considered in the context of the overall policing needs and operational priorities of the organisation and the divisions concerned”.

Gardaí acknowledged that Limerick City, like other large urban centres, had experienced “considerable challenges, in terms of Garda resources and calls to service”.

However, it said that, local community gardaí and crime units were “consistently” implementing operations in areas of concern, to minimise tensions.