The Mayor of Clare is calling for CCTV to be installed at Drumcliffe Cemetery to deal with a spate of vandalism and theft in recent months.
The Burial Grounds Unit received 7 complaints of interference to flowers/ornaments on graves in Drumcliffe cemetery over the past 6 months, which the local authority says has been brought to the attention of Clare’s Crime Prevention Officer.
Clare County Council has ruled out the installation of CCTV, as its not prohibited under Data Protection legislation, but it has reassured that the situation is being taken seriously and will continue to be monitored.
Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Mary Howard says she has been contacted by a number of people in distress, who claim flower pots, statuettes and other items have been stolen from their loved ones graves.
Statement from Clare County Council
‘The Burial Grounds Unit received 7 complaints of interference to flowers/ornaments on graves in Drumcliffe cemetery over the past 6 months which has been brought to the attention of the Crime Prevention Officer in An Garda Siochána.
The installation of CCTV, in a burial ground such as Drumcliffe, for public order or public security measures presents a range of complexities under Data Protection legislation.
These functions can only be carried out by law enforcement agencies so Clare Co. Council would have no lawful basis for providing CCTV at this location as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.
In fact, GDPR advocates that CCTV surveillance is only considered proportionate where all other preventative and/or security measures which do not require image acquisition have been tried and tested and are clearly insufficient to achieve this aim.
The Burial Grounds unit is taking the matter seriously and both the Caretaker and Burial Grounds staff are continuing to monitor the situation in Drumcliffe and maintain an active presence in the burial ground.
The public are encouraged to bring any complaints of vandalism/anti-social behaviour to the attention of An Garda Siochána who are the appropriate law enforcement authority.’
