Policing model questioned after east Mayo unit respond to Westport incident

THE smarter policing model has been questioned by a Mayo councillor after gardaí from Ballyhaunis were called out to deal with a situation in Westport.

If you are living in a rural part of the Westport area and there's two intruders in your yard, are you going to have to wait for members of An Garda Síochána to come from Ballina, Belmullet or Ballyhaunis, Councillor Christy Hyland asked at a Mayo Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting.

It wasn't the fault of the gardaí, he pointed out. The decisions on the new operating model stopped at government level.

It is a model, he said, that has the guards and the people frustrated.

“How long did it take to travel from Ballyhaunis to Westport and back again?

"They call this smarter policing,” he commented.

The people in his area wouldn't tolerate this kind of service. They wanted a quick response, said Councillor Hyland.

He was told there will be cases where local units aren't available as they cannot leave other incidents. The gardaí would utilise whatever resources are available at the time. Up until this people would have been left waiting.

Councillor Michael Loftus, who chairs the JPC's community engagement sub-committee, suggested they invite the policing authority to hold a meeting in the area, and he further suggested the Garda Commissioner be invited to attend a meeting of Mayo JPC.