Over 600,000 texts alerting people to potential criminal activity in their local area have been sent to individuals and communities across the country during the first year of the crime prevention Text Alert system, according to figures released today by An Garda Síochána.
Launched a year ago this week, Text Alert now has over 450 Text Alert Groups in towns and villages throughout the country with more than 80,000 people signing-up to the scheme.
Text Alert, which is a joint initiative of An Garda Síochána, Muintir na Tíre, Neighbourhood Watch and the Irish Farmers Association, enables communities to set up a Group to receive alerts advising them of suspicious or criminal activity in their area. As well as ensuring awareness among users of the service, it can also lead to them reporting suspicious activity to Gardai.
Sending the information by text means that it can be rapidly sent to a large amount of people in a cost-effective way.
Text Alert is a one-way system, and operates on the following principles:
+ Member(s) of the public reports incident to the Gardaí (24 hour Garda District -Telephone number is widely advertised).
+ The reporting Garda verifies details and determines that the "Text Alert” system should be utilised.
+ Garda sends text or e-mail out to each registered "Community Contact” in their Garda District.
+ Each "Community Contact” forwards the text to their "Community Group” to advise the public to watch out and report any developments.
+ If the information is received by e-mail the Community Contact may forward the e-mail or convert the content to SMS Text and send to their Community Group.
An example of its effectiveness can be seen in a recent case of theft in the Midlands:
A male reported the theft of his vehicle to Gardaí and identified a suspect vehicle involved in this theft. It was also believed that this suspect vehicle had been involved in the theft of another vehicle the day before. A text alert was sent out to targeted areas regarding the suspicious vehicle. Acting on information received back, Gardaí were able to intercept the vehicle. As a result, four males were arrested for theft of items, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the taking of the vehicles.
Every rural Garda Division already has a number of Text Alert Groups in operation. Since March, An Garda Síochána’s Community Relations Bureau has been actively targeting urban areas. Within the last two weeks, eight such Groups have been set up in the Portmarnock / Malahide area alone.
Assistant Commissioner Jack Nolan stated: "We have found that as an immediate, cost effective method of engagement with the communities we serve, the Text Alert system has proved to be invaluable. We will continue to ensure that the system is used in conjunction with communities around the country, both rural and urban, as it has proved to be a worthwhile method of engagement”.
Mr John Hogan, President of Muintir na Tíre remarked that: "The Community Text Alert programme, in partnership with An Garda Síochána has allowed communities to rapidly exchange information, and gives communities a say in policing in their own areas.”
Mr. Patrick Walsh from Neighbourhood Watch said, "Communities have experienced a reduction in burglaries since we engaged with Text Alert, and the scheme will help to sustain the continued effort by both the Gardaí and Neighbourhood Watch members”.
Mr Eddie Downey, IFA President stressed the scheme’s importance in preventing rural crime. "The IFA continues to support Community Text Alert as a vital tool in preventing rural crime. We recognise the significant impact this service can have in supporting the safety of rural communities. IFA is working closely with An Garda Síochána to continue to roll out text alert initiatives across our branch structure and further strengthen our Community Text Alert network,” said Mr Downey.
Note:
Text Alert was developed by Garda Community Relations Bureau in conjunction with Muintir na Tíre in 2007 and was piloted successfully in the Garda Division of Kerry in 2008.
Each Text Alert group must satisfy certain scheme protocols before they can formally register with An Garda Síochána, and they may also have to raise finance to allow for dissemination of the received Garda Text through the employment of a Service Provider, if they so choose. This means that each of the 450 Text Alert groups must be well organised and is indicative of the demand for the service from An Garda Síochána.
