“Chief Superintendent Mangan has demonstrated the highest standards of leadership, commitment and professionalism”
The Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG) has called on the Mayor of Drogheda, James Byrne and his fellow Councillors to confer the Freedom of Drogheda on Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan who has just retired after a long and distinguished career in An Garda Siochana, which concluded in Drogheda, where he and his team have been successfully addressing many challenges in recent years.
DCSG Chair Anna McKenna said: “Chief Superintendent Mangan has demonstrated the highest standards of leadership; commitment and professionalism and has worked tirelessly with the community here in Drogheda and beyond.”
“Few senior public servants have fought as persistently for a better, safer quality of life for residents in the Greater Drogheda area than the retiring Chief. He was fearless in demanding and securing Government support to provide much needed additional Garda resources for Drogheda, currently Ireland’s largest town and next city.”
Back in April 2021 DCSG made a detailed submission to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris regarding policing structures in the Drogheda and East Meath region which was also delivered to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD, sponsor of the recent Geiran Report, asking that she discuss local concerns and needs with the Commissioner.
Arising from this, a meeting was arranged between DCSG Committee members and Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan and Superintendent Andrew Watters at Drogheda Garda Station.
“…. despite massive population growth, Coastal East Meath has only a part-time Garda Station at Laytown and has to rely on back-up from Ashbourne 33 kilometres away,” Ms McKenna said.
“The assault on two local boys at Bettystown beach last summer, and the time it took Gardai from Ashbourne to respond, underlined just how ineffective the current policing arrangements are for the community there.
“We would continue to urge Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to have Laytown Garda Station be reinstated as part of the Drogheda Region, as was the case in the past. Clearly, the current situation is unacceptable to residents in East Meath, given their close proximity to Drogheda.”
Chief Superintendent Mangan congratulated DCSG on the comprehensive submission they had made to the Commissioner and he confirmed his full support for their proposal.
DCSG pointed out that, with a population of 80,000, the Greater Drogheda catchment is now larger than the catchment of Waterford City, which has substantially more Gardai and stressed the need for Laytown Garda Station to be part of the Drogheda District as heretofore and also for it to be upgraded to a 24/7 Garda Station.
Chief Superintendent Mangan assured the delegation that their proposals would be given full consideration and the recommendations would be brought to the attention of the Garda Commissioner.
“Since that very constructive meeting, speculation suggests that DCSG’s proposal will receive the full support of the Garda Commissioner, and an early decision ahead of the busy summer period would be welcomed by the communities throughout the Greater Drogheda area,” Anna said.
“The support of Chief Superintendent Mangan and his team for this has been a key factor, and along with all the other initiatives he has undertaken or got underway leads us to consider that there is no better person or time for this senior Garda Officer to receive Drogheda’s highest honour, acknowledging his work; that of his colleagues locally and the century of service our national police force has provided the State.”
