Opinion: Mayo clearly missing out on resources allocated for policing

Mayo needs to have a debate about its policing services - and the sooner the better.

The lack of garda visibility across urban and rural communities is a major issue at a time when anti-social crimes like illicit drug trading continues to gain a stronger foothold to the detriment of many.

The official government line to those who draw attention to such issues is that Budget 2024 provided the highest ever allocation to An Garda Síochána, over €2.35 billion.

But have our legislators truly examined how much of this money actually percolated down to Mayo in terms of fighting crime at the coalface.

Very little, it would appear, despite the fact there are now 581 gardaí officially assigned to the Mayo-Roscommon-Longford division.

Ask business owners or community leaders in any of Mayo's main towns of Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballyhaunis, Belmullet, Castlebar, Claremorris, Swinford and Westport and they'll agree on one point.

That's the fact that existing policing resources in each of those communities is stretched to the limit, leaving them without sufficient strength on the beat during weekends and other busy periods.

Thus, the public is entitled to answers in regard to why their town, village, parish and street are not being patrolled on a regular basis despite such unprecedented levels of investment in An Garda Síochána.

Something is clearly amiss and our legislators can no longer stand aside and allow the decline of policing in Mayo and other rural counties to continue unchecked.

It's an unacceptable situation and one that is likely to have far-reaching negative consequences in the years ahead.