Cllr. Fionnán Fitzgerald (FF) raised a motion at the recent Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District meeting calling for a letter to be written to the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, TD on the need for a See Something Say Something Text System in Castleisland.
Cllr. Fitzgerald has also expressed his gratitude for the help of his fellow councillors who supported him unanimously. Here, he also points out the benefits of a ‘well-run warning text system.’
Strong Sense of Community
“Castleisland is a town with a strong tradition of welcome and community. It is a market town where the person is as important, if not more important, than the product,” said Cllr. Fitzgerald.
“That trust in the human being should be supported at all costs. The strong sense of community in Castleisland must be allowed to flourish into the future and be there for the next generation.
Strange or Suspicious Behaviour
“An established and well-run warning text system provides an avenue by which information on strange or suspicious behaviour can be directed.
Such a system would greatly increase the positive relationship between An Garda Síochána and the local community.
“It would ensure and support the positive atmosphere within the town for the local and the visitor.
More Targeted use of Resources
“A system by which a member of the public can contact An Garda Síochána directly by text would lead to a more targeted use of An Garda Síochána’s time and resources.
“I am calling on, and have called on in the past, the Minister for Justice to support such an initiative in Castleisland and similar urban areas. The rewards for it are many but the risks without it are greater.
Written to the Minister
“Since I raised the motion I have written personally to the Minister for Justice calling for the system to be put in place in Castleisland. Her office has replied that the scheme will initially be extended to Listowel, Kenmare and Dingle.
“It will, I am informed, be rolled out to all other areas in the Kerry Division before the end of this year.
Reporting the Potential for Crime
“I will continue to call for the system to be put in place in Castleisland. The people of the area deserve a proper, professional and robust system by which crime and the potential for it can be reported,” according to Cllr. Fitzgerald’s compelling case for the system in the light of the recurring spate of attacks on elderly people throughout the country.
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