Second public meeting on crime to be held in Athlone
With crime, drug dealing on Athlone streets and policing in the spotlight following a number of high-profile incidents, Athlone Drug Awareness Group has opted to a host a second public meeting to deal with the issues next week.
The event, scheduled for Monday, October 9 next at 7.30pm in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, follows a similar meeting held in May.
Cllr Frankie Keena, who is the Chairman of the Athlone Drug Awareness Group, said that the group is hosting a second public meeting to allow members of the public to express any further concerns they may have in relation to these community issues.
All Oireachtas members in the Longford/Westmeath constituency, Gardaí, a representative from Westmeath County Council Housing Department and the Midlands Regional Drug & Alcohol Taskforce have also been invited to attend the meeting.
The group believes that stakeholders covering areas of policy making, law enforcement, housing and a broad range of services/support information in relation to substance misuse should also be in attendance.
Over 50 people attended a similar meeting last May where those present were very forthcoming in highlighting a wide range of anti-social issues and the presence of visible drug dealing on the town's streets. Feedback will be given on these issues next Monday night.
“Unfortunately, these concerning activities are still occurring throughout our communities. For instance, I am still receiving regular emails on these issues and indeed I notice that social media is alive with comments on it too,” said Cllr Keena.
“People are very vocal in stating that they are scared and concerned for their families and that the image of Athlone is being destroyed by such ongoing issues,” he added. “Well, now is the time for people to move away from their computers and turn up at this public meeting to raise their concerns to these invited guests,” Cllr Keena urged.
The agenda for this meeting will focus on community issues only.
Immediately after this meeting, another meeting will be held to discuss the potential negative impact that new Garda Operational Model will have on Athlone, something Cllr Keena has raised in recent times.
At Monday's council meeting, local councillors called for a meeting with Justice Minister Helen McEntee to discuss what they say is the "downgrading" of Athlone Garda Station as a result of operational changes to policing due to come into effect locally later this year.
During a discussion at Athlone Moate Municipal District, Cllr Frankie Keena compared the upcoming Garda operational changes to the downgrading of Custume Barracks when it lost its brigade headquarters status in 2012.
The new Garda operational model is due to come into effect in Westmeath later this year and would create "three new functional areas to support members doing community engagement work."
"The new support areas are Business Services (which will be made up entirely of Garda support staff), Performance Assurance, and Crime."
Additionally, there will be three community engagement areas spread across the merged divisions of Meath and Westmeath; Westmeath, Meath North and Meath South.
"In the case of Athlone Garda station, the numbers of Garda managers based there under the operating model will grow, with the allocation of new Inspectors posts," a letter read out at the meeting said.
"The role of the Superintendent in Athlone will be to head the Performance Assurance functional area across the new division," the letter continued.