Big rise in drug detections

The number of drug detections across County Cavan has risen dramatically when comparing figures in the third quarter of 2023 to the same period last year.

They rose by more than five times in the period concerned. There were 11 detected between July and September 2023 from a low base of just two in the corresponding months in 2022 in the Cavan Garda District.

They were also up 43% from seven to 10 in the Bailieborough District.

The figures were revealed as part of a presentation on overall crime figures at the December meeting of the Joint Policing Committee earlier this month.

There was also a rise in thefts from vehicles across both districts; in robberies from a person; and in the number of people caught in possession of an offensive weapon.

Thefts from vehicles more than doubled - from five to 11 in Cavan - and almost tripled from eight to 22 in Bailieborough over the period. Weapon detections rose by half in Cavan from four to six and by 44% from nine to 13 in the Bailieborough district.

Both areas recorded one incident of a robbery from a person where they had none reported in the third quarter of 2022.

Public order

Public order continues to be a problem for both garda districts, with incidents rising by almost a third to 100 in Cavan and down slightly, by eight per cent, to 111 in the Bailieborough area.

The quarterly figures were shared by Detective Superintendent Gordon Englishby, attached to Bailieborough, and Inspector Patrick Hannon of Cavan Garda Station, when both men appeared before the JPC meeting.

The level of crimes recorded varies across all other categories.

Fall in serious assaults

Both in Cavan and Bailieborough incidents of assault causing harm fell in Q3 2023 compared to the same period last year, by seven percent (26/28) in Cavan and by more than half (16/33) in Bailieborough.

Reports of minor assaults were up in Cavan (+12% to 36) but down by 16% to 72 in Bailieborough.

Incidents of burglary were down in both districts also, by 16% in Cavan to 15 and by 27% to 27 in Bailieborough; as was the number of thefts from shops, down 12% to 72 in Cavan and 18% to 68 in Bailieborough.

Criminal damage was down in the Cavan district by 18% to 39 reported incidents, whereas in Bailieborough the figure remained at 79 for the three-month period.

While sexual offences are down 38% to eight in Cavan, they are up by almost the same amount in the Bailieborough district, from 14 to 20 reported cases.

The reverse can be said of thefts, with a 46% rise occurring in Bailieborough (41); while, in Cavan, numbers fell by almost a third to 33.

There were no robberies from an establishment in either area in the third quarter of 2023.

The number drink drivers detected fell by 44% to 19, and drug drivers by 87% to two for the three months in Cavan.

In Bailieborough the number of drink drivers caught remained the same at 38, and there was a fall of one in the number of people caught driving under the influence of drugs (17).

Supt Englishby said, in relation to tackling drug dealing in the community, gardaí are adopting a multi-front approach, which also involved hitting dealers from a financial point of view.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” he told the JPC meeting, saying that they were looking for the community to assist in providing them with information about suspiciously accrued wealth.

Insp Hannon welcomed the commitment to assign officers to the Divisional Drugs Unit and wished members the best of luck.

Fianna Fáil’s Patricia Walsh said the unit is “badly needed”, with great work done in the past in building up a “rapport with communities” affected. She also asked about money laundering, and was told that the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is involved in that respect.

Fine Gael’s Peter McVitty suggested that some people are afraid to report incidents of drug dealing for fear their name might be used in helping attain a prosecution.

But Supt Englishby assured that confidential lines do exist and encouraged people to use them.

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith hit out at the merger of the Cavan-Monaghan Garda Division with neighbouring Louth; while Independent Brendan Fay asked if unmarked patrol cars could be made available again.