Ennis Councillor Calls On Government To Make CCTV Grants Available After Shop Theft Increase

Photo (c) An Garda Siochana

An Ennis Councillor is calling for the Government to make grants available to allow small shops and businesses to install CCTV cameras.

It’s after new figures from the Clare Garda Division showed a 69 percent jump in thefts in shops in the last three months compared to the same period last year.

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The Clare Joint Policing Committee has been told 88 incidents in shops were detected in this county between November and January.

That compares to 52 detected in the same three month timeframe a year prior.

Chief Superintendent Sean Colleran told JPC members that local Gardai are to attempt to prioritise such crimes as a result of the increase.

Committee Chair and Sixmilebridge-based Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe says the number of shops available to people in towns and villages is already decreasing.

Meanwhile, an Ennis Councillor believes grants need to be made available from the Government for shops here to install CCTV cameras to attempt to combat the increase.

Fianna Fail representative Pat Daly, who’s Vice Chair of the JPC, says it’s an expensive investment for a small business to make.

A West Clare business owner feels a revised form of a text alert system would be an effective way of helping shop staff feel more secure.

Rita McInerney, of McInerney’s Shop in Doonbeg, says retailers and the Gardai should once again link up.