Gardai have “fantastic support” in the town says Chief Superintendent
Drug dealers are being ‘hunted’ down and will be brought before the courts, said Garda Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan at the recent Joint Policing Committee meeting for Drogheda.
He also said the Geiran report on Drogheda provides a “fantastic opportunity” for the town whose reputation has taken a bit of, “a battering over the last three years.”
It is three years since Gardai initiated Operation Stratus to tackle the criminal feud between rival drug gangs.
The meeting for Drogheda heard that up to the first of July this year 52 people had been arrested for possession of drugs for the purpose of selling or supplying to others i.e. drug dealing.
The Chief Superintendent said, “we are hunting these people down and we are going to make sure they are brought before the courts and justice will be administered that way.”
He said Gardai have a two-pronged approach for drug dealers.
In addition to taking the drugs from them, he said, “we are taking their ill-gotten gains off them on a very regular basis.”
As well as money, he said, “we are taking property off them, we are taking cash off them, we are taking jewellery off them.”
He added, “I think that gives some sort of solace to the people of Drogheda that there is positive action being taken.”
Chief Superintendent Mangan said there is an enormous amount of “fantastic good people who want to see the best for the town.”
He said Gardai have had “fantastic support” in the town and he believes that the report drawn up by Vivian Geiran is an opportunity to make decisions for the betterment of the town.
He said that in two years’ time Drogheda will be shining “with good headlines, positive stuff coming through (about) sport and industry.”
Gardai have already said they are “ready to go” to implement any recommendations specific to the Gardai which are in the recently published report on Drogheda compiled by the former director of the Probation Service Mr Vivian Geiran.
Deputy Fergus O’Dowd told the meeting he understands the implementation report (for the Geiran report) “is seriously advanced and ready to go to cabinet, which I think is hugely important for the community.”
