The October programme was aired on the 22nd October 2018
On this month’s traffic segment Garda Derek Cloughley was in studio to discuss the importance of visibility especially with the clocks going back, it will be darker for longer, which is why pedestrian visibility is crucial over the coming months.
Garda Derek Cloughley discussed some stark road safety facts and offered advice on how to protect yourself when out walking on the road, including when socialising.
In addition, he discussed simple DIY measures to help make your car “winter ready”.”
On this month’s Crime Prevention segment, Sergeant Kelvin Courtney was in studio to discuss An Garda Síochána’s Crime Prevention Initiative Operation Thor as the Winter Phase is launched.
Operation Thor is An Garda Síochána’s national anti-crime strategy, which was launched in November 2015. The primary focus of Operation Thor during the winter months is on preventing and detecting burglaries.
Proactive policing under Operation Thor has led to the disruption of Inter-Regional Travelling Criminals (IRTCs) operating nationwide, using the extended motorway network, and has resulted in the arrest of a number of prolific offenders targeted under this initiative.
Since the instigation of Operation Thor there has been a marked impact on burglary and related offences across the country. Operation Thor has primarily focused efforts on residential related burglary offences, due to the profound impact and social harm that can be caused by this type of criminality. Since the beginning of Operation Thor, residential related burglaries have reduced by about 34%, while non-residential related burglaries have reduced by 23%, when compared to an equivalent period, before the operation was launched.
Winter Burglary Facts
- Around 37% of burglaries occurred between 5:00pm and 9:59pm last winter.
- Jewellery and cash comprised the highest value property stolen (€5.6 million).
- The main entry point used by burglars was the rear door or window (43%).
- 17% of burglaries involved entry through an unsecured door or window.
- Over €8 million worth of property was stolen in residential burglaries last winter.
Residential Burglaries have fallen by 8% in the last twelve months, according to figures from the Garda Síochána Analysis Service. Since the launch of Operation Thor in 2015, residential burglary has decreased.
Currently, the count for the last 12 months is at its lowest in the last five years with around 12,000 residential burglaries reported. This compares to around 20,700 residential burglaries in the period October 2014 to September 2015 prior to the launch of Operation Thor. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office confirm that burglary and related offences have decreased since Operation Thor began.
Complacency should be avoided however, as, traditionally, residential burglaries begin to rise as winter approaches. Last year, 13% more residential burglaries occurred in the winter months than in the summer.
Burglary Prevention Advice - Top 5 Tips
- Secure all doors and windows.
- Light up your home, use timer switches when out.
- Use your alarm, even when at home.
- Store keys safely and away from windows and letterboxes.
- Record details of valuables and don’t keep large amounts of cash at home.
The Home Security Checklist Challenge is available for download here and at www.garda.ie. More home security and crime prevention advice can also be found on the Garda website.
Gardaí at Ennis are investigating a robbery from the person incident that occurred on Friday 14th September 2018 at 9.15pm on the Old Mill Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.
The injured party was sitting in the front passenger seat of a car when the door opened by a man armed with a knife. The man told the injured party to get out of the vehicle and took a pink Guess handbag.
An EVOFIT was compiled of the suspect who is described as being in his thirties, five foot eleven in height of medium build with a prominent nose wearing a brown/green fleece with a wool hat.
Gardaí at Ennis Garda Station are investigating tel: (065) 684 8100
Gardaí at Swords Garda Station are investigating a burglary that occurred on Saturday 8th September 2018 in Rivervalley, Swords. Co. Dublin.
The injured party heard his door bell ringing a number of times, he looked out and saw a dark coloured car parked outside his house. He saw a shadow at the front door. The front door was subsequently forced open by two men who fled when he seen the injured party. There was a third man sitting in the car.
An EVOFIT was compiled of the suspect, who is described as six-foot-tall, of thin build with ginger / blonde greasy hair which was cut tight at the side with a long fringe. He was wearing light coloured tracksuit bottoms with a green top, a short sleeved polo shirt.
Gardaí at Swords Garda Station are investigating tel: (01) 666 4700
Gardaí at Coolock Garda Station are investigating a theft from a cash in transit van that occurred on Saturday 28th April 2018 at approximately 2pm.
Two suspects gained entry to the van, which was also taken during the incident and subsequently found abandoned with fire damage in the Clongriffin area of north county Dublin.
A large white van, bearing the registration number 08D27550, which was also used by the suspects and later found abandoned with fire damage in the Clongriffin area.
Gardaí believe the suspects made their way over the train line in Clongriffin in the general direction of Myrtle housing estate.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information in relation to this incident to come forward.
Gardaí at Ballymun Garda Station are investigating tel: (01) 666 4400
Gardaí at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station are investigating a cash in transit robbery that occurred at Killiney Shopping Centre on Wednesday 19th September 2018.
A security van driver was doing his rounds in the South Dublin area on that Wednesday morning. He arrived at Killiney Shopping Centre at approximately 10.30am and drove towards the back of the premises where he reversed into a space used for security vans when making deliveries to the shopping centre.
The driver was making his way to the post office in the shopping centre when a man in a grey jumper with the hood up, with his face covered and carrying a hand gun, ran towards him and demanded that he drop the cash box.
The suspect grabbed the cash box and returned to a silver four door Nissan March registration number 02D83402 that was waiting for him. He got in the back seat and the car drove off. Gardaí believe there was three people in total in that car. They drove to the roundabout beside the shopping centre and took the second exit which leads onto Ballinclea Road. They abandoned the Nissan at Ballinclea Wood and got into a yellow Ford Transit van, which they had parked there before the robbery.
They drove the transit van down Rochestown Avenue (past the shopping centre) and turned left onto the Johnstown Road. They were next spotted in the Central Park area of Leopardstown heading towards the M50 where it is thought that they travelled northbound.
Prior to the robbery
CCTV from before the robbery shows the Nissan March and yellow Ford Transit van exiting the M50 at Cherrywood at around 10.10am. The two vehicles travelled to Ballinclea Wood where the van remained until after the robbery.
Description of Suspect #1
5’6’’ in height
Slim build, freckles on face
Grey Jumper and carrying a handgun
Appeal:
- The silver Nissan March registration 02D83402 used in the robbery was stolen from a house in Walkinstown, Dublin 12 on Thursday 13th September.
- Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information on the whereabouts of this car between these dates to please come forward.
- The yellow Ford Transit van is distinctive in colour – Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information on the van to please come forward.
- The cash box taken during the robbery has not been recovered. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who might have any information on the missing cash box.
Gardaí at Dun Laoghaire Garda Station are investigating tel: (01) 666 5000
Gardaí at Ballymun Garda Station are investigating the murder of forty-five-year-old Robert Sheridan who was shot and fatally injured on Friday 5th October 2018 at Poppintree Crescent.
Robert had just been to a nearby shop and returned home shortly after 10pm. At around 11.10pm, Robert was alerted to a noise at the rear French patio door of his house. He opened the door and was confronted by two men. Robert was shot and fatally wounded by one of the men.
Gardaí believe two men entered Poppintree Park from the direction of Willow Park Road shortly after 11pm. After entering the park, the men may have exited onto Poppintree crescent by jumping over the gate or fences close to the victim’s house.
Gardaí believe that the men approached the victims home and one of them shot him at close range.
Gardaí believe they ran back in the same direction, possibly jumping over the gate before exiting onto Willow Park Road.
Appeal:
- Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in the park or the vicinity of Willow Park road and Poppintree Crescent on that Friday night. There would have been plenty of people around, young people, dog walkers in the area at the time.
- Anyone who observed the two men either prior to or after the murder, especially as they made their escape on Willow Park road?
- Anyone with any information regarding Roberts murder, matter how insignificant they believe it to be to contact the programme.
Gardaí at Ballymun Garda Station are investigating tel: (01) 666 4400
Gardaí at Tallaght Garda Station are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting of twenty-seven-year-old Robert Delaney who was shot and seriously injured on the 22nd October 2008 at his house in Russell Rise estate.
On the morning of the 22nd October, Robert, a father of two, heard a knock at his front door. He looked out the kitchen window and a man fired a shot towards Robert hitting him in the head. Robert was seriously injured and remains in a serious condition in the Peamount Hospital.
Roberts Parents, Terry and Noeleen, his sister Sinead and his daughter Meghan appeal to the public for their assistance with the investigation and encourage those with information to come forward now.
Appeal:
Gardaí in Tallaght are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who may have seen either:
- Suspicious activity in the Russell Rise estate on the evening of 21/10/08 and the morning of the 22/10/08.
- An unregistered white Honda Integra car (with no number plates) that was stolen on the evening of the 21st October from a garage on the Naas Road and subsequently located at Montpelier estate in Tallaght.
- Any sightings related to the above car, or any information relating to the shooting.
- Given the passage of time and the possibility that associations / relationships may have changed Gardaí are appealing to those with information and to come forward at the time to do so now.
Gardai at Tallaght Garda Station are invstigating tel: (01) 666 6000
Gardaí at Carrick on Shannon are continuing to investigate the murder of local man Patrick Heeran who was last seen at Aughavas, Mohill, Co. Leitrim on 3rd October 2011 at 4.20pm. Patrick was reported missing from his home and to date his body has not been recovered.
Gardaí are appealing for assistance from the public in relation to a number of incidents that occurred in 2011, that caused Patrick to fear for his safety.
Gardaí are appealing to any person(s) who were directly or indirectly involved in the incidents in 2011 and to any persons who may be in possession of information relating to any of these incidents.
Any person(s) that may have knowledge of what happened to Patrick are urged to come forward. Gardaí would particularly like to appeal to any person(s) who saw callers to the home of Patrick Heeran prior to him being reported missing.
Finally, Gardaí appeal to all friends, neighbours, visitors to Aughavas, Co. Leitrim who may be in a position to assist the investigation to do so.
It has been over 7 years since Patrick Heeran was last seen alive and his family are most anxious to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion. The Crimecall team travelled to Leitrim to speak with Pat’s family who appeal for the public’s assistance.
Gardaí at Carrick On Shannon Garda Station are investigating tel: +353719650510