Crime - Thurles Information

New Garda Recruitment Campaign Announced.

1,000 new Garda recruits to enter Templemore in 2023.

The Minister for Justice, Mr Simon Harris TD, has today announced that a new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána will open for applications on this Friday, March 24th 2023, for three weeks.

This new recruitment campaign will assist in the recruitment of 1,000 new Gardaí this year, as provided for in Budget 2023, and will secure a strong pipeline of recruits into the Garda College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, into the future.

Speaking today, the Minister for Justice stated: “A career in An Garda Síochána is a challenging but rewarding one. It will change your life and the lives of others – having a personal impact on the community you serve will give you a sense of achievement like nothing else. Being a Garda is a tough job, but is a job worth doing.

Few institutions in Irish life are as respected as An Garda Síochána. The close connection between Gardaí and the communities they serve is the envy of police services around the world.

Recruiting 1,000 Gardaí in 2023 is central to the Government’s commitment to build stronger, safer communities, and I know there will be people listening today who will hear this and think that they too can work with us to deliver on that mission.

Policing is not a career for the faint of heart – it is a career for those with strong initiative and perseverance, tolerance, composure, a strong moral compass and most importantly respect and compassion for the communities that they serve. To protect and to serve in An Garda Síochána is a worthwhile and valued career, and I would like to encourage anyone who feels up to the job to consider applying.”

Both the Government and Garda Commissioner are committed to increasing diversity within An Garda Síochána and ensuring that all communities see themselves reflected in our police service. The Garda Commissioner has put a welcome focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, as An Garda Síochána seek to embed the principle that human rights are the foundation and the purpose of policing in Ireland.

This has included changes to Garda uniform policy, the establishment of the Garda National Diversity Forum, representation from diverse and minority communities in An Garda Síochána, the establishment of a Garda internship programme focused on attracting candidates belonging to a group at greater risk of inequality or social exclusion in Irish society. An Garda Síochána are working to finalise an updated Equality, Diversity and Integration Strategy.

Minister Harris said: “It is incredibly important that a modern police service reflects the communities that it serves. If An Garda Síochána better reflects the rich diversity of Irish society, they will be better able to understand the different needs and concerns of the communities they serve and in turn make those communities stronger and safer.

An Garda Síochána is an inclusive organisation to work for, not only regardless of but embracing of your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic background”.

Visit HERE for more information on how to apply.

There are currently over 200 trainees in the Garda College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, derived from the most recent recruitment campaign launched in 2022 by Minster Mrs Helen McEntee.

The Garda Commissioner has outlined to the Minister his intention that four further tranches of around 225 recruits will enter Templemore throughout the rest of 2023, provided for by candidates from the previous campaign and later supplemented by the new recruitment campaign being launched by Minister Harris.

Tipperary Garda Search Result In Five Arrests For Serious Offences.

Tipperary Gardaí based in Clonmel conducted a joint-agency search operation yesterday, operating alongside personnel from Revenue Customs Service, the ISPCA and the Irish Defence Forces.

**Distressing pictures released courtesy of An Garda Síochána**

During the course of their search, Gardaí seized suspected drugs together with three caravans, which they believe had been stolen.

Fifteen dogs and three horses were also taken into care, rescued by the ISPCA, latter the leading animal welfare charity here in Ireland, which specialise in rescue, animal welfare and preventing animal cruelty.

During the course of the search operation, five persons were arrested for various offences.

Clonmel District Gardaí Seek Your Help.

Gardaí in the Clonmel District of Co. Tipperary, are seeking the assistance of the public, in relation to investigations into five incidents over the course of last weekend (10th March to 12th March inclusive), where parked vans were broken into or interfered with.
* Overnight on Friday 10th – Saturday 11th March 2023, a van parked in the Prior Park Hill estate in Clonmel, was forcibly entered and a number of tools removed.
* At approximately 11:00pm on Friday 10th – Saturday 11th March 2023, a van parked on Main Street, Fethard was forcibly entered and a number of tools removed. From enquiries it has been established that at least three suspects were involved in forcibly opening the van and were observed leaving the area in a small dark-coloured hatchback car.
* Overnight on Saturday 11th – Sunday 12th March a van parked in the Auburn Park Estate in Clonmel was entered and a number of tools removed.
* Overnight on Friday 10th – Saturday 11th March a van parked in the Glenview Estate in Carrick-on-Suir was interfered with.
* Over the course of the weekend, from the evening of Friday 10th – morning of Monday 13th March a van parked in the Killaghy Crescent Estate, Mullinahone was forcibly entered and a number of tools removed.

Enquiries are ongoing into these incidents and anyone with any information is asked to contact Clonmel Garda Station (District HQ), Telephone: 052-6177640 or the Garda Confidential Line Free-phone 1800 666 111.

Gardaí are advising the public to lock parked or unattended vehicles at all times, day and night, and to avoid keeping any sums of money or other items of value in parked vehicles.

Launch Of Updated Information Sharing System Across EU, Welcomed.

The Schengen Information System (SIS) Recast, will allow for enhanced information sharing on people and objects, allowing national authorities to better pursue and prevent serious crimes and terrorism.

The SIS Recast, by the European Commission has been fully implemented by An Garda Síochána, working in close collaboration with the Commission and other participating States.

It is the largest and most widely used IT system for public security in Europe and has received new functionalities through this upgrade, which went live this week.

Minister Harris has been discussing the upgrade with his EU Justice and Home Affairs colleagues at a meeting in Brussels today.

Ireland connected to SIS in March 2021 and since then it has proven to be an extremely effective tool for An Garda Síochána, in tackling crime domestically and also in contributing to international criminal investigations.

The system enables law enforcement agencies, including An Garda Síochána, to share and check data in real time on wanted persons, missing persons, persons who may not have the right to enter or stay in EU member states, and objects/vehicles that may have been stolen.

Under the updates this week, new types of biometrics, such as palm prints, fingermarks and DNA records (only in relation to missing persons) will be included on SIS to confirm and verify the identity of people registered in the system.

Authorities can also enter preventive alerts to protect certain categories of vulnerable persons, such as children at high risk of parental abduction, children at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, and children at risk of being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters.

Minister Mr Simon Harris said; “Gardaí must have access to the most up-to-date technology and data in order to continue to provide the world class policing service we have come to expect as we work together to build stronger, safer communities.
Crime does not respect borders, and new technologies, along with strong cooperation with our friends in Europe and beyond, is crucial in ensuring that people are safe and can feel safe in communities across Ireland.
I am confident that SIS RECAST will prove invaluable for An Garda Síochána and I commend the detailed work that An Garda Síochána has carried out over many months to ensure that Ireland has implemented this upgrade alongside the rest of the EU.”

Under the developments which went live this week, new alerts have been introduced across the SIS system.

These include:

*Introduction of a new alert category of “unknown wanted persons” connected to a serious crime, e.g., persons whose fingerprints are found on a weapon used in a crime;

*Extension of the existing category of “missing persons” to “vulnerable persons who need to be prevented from travelling,” e.g., children at high risk of parental abduction, children at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings, and children at risk of being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters;

* Creation of the new category “inquiry check” allowing national law enforcement authorities to stop and interview a person in order for the issuing Member State to obtain detailed information;

* Introduction of the category of “objects of high value,” e.g., items of information technology such as laptops, which can be identified and searched with a unique identification number.

* Obligation for Member States to create SIS alerts for cases related to terrorist offences;

* Obligation to inform Europol of hit alerts linked to terrorism in order to help to “connect the dots” of terrorism at the European level.

Thurles Man Sentenced To A Seven Month Jail Sentence.

Following an appearance at Cork District Court, a 33-year-old Thurles man, named as Mr Thomas Cawley, latter with a current address at Cork Simon Community, St. Nicholas House, Cove Street, Co. Cork, has been jailed for a total of seven months.

His sentence, imposed by Mr Justice Olann Kelleher, follows the abuse of two Gardaí in separate instances, together with the man’s large number of previous court convictions.

Sergeant Mr Pat Lyons said that on August 19th, 2022, shortly before 8:00pm, Garda Mr Barry O’Shea was on foot patrol in the area of Grand Parade, when he responded to a report of an extremely intoxicated man, in the vicinity.

The man resisted arrest and attempted to assault Garda O’Shea while verbally abusing him stating, “I’ll put you through that f***ing window“. When arrested the officer was told to, “F*** off, I’m not going to go anyway”.

Previously, on July 22nd, 2022, at North Main Street, Cork city, the same defendant told Garda Mr Jonathan Corcoran to, “Go eat your f***ing dinner”.

Mr Cawley admitted in court of being drunk around this same period of time at Maylor Street, Emmet Place and St. Patrick’s Street, in Cork city.

Mr Cawley’s solicitor, Mr Eddie Burke, in his defence stated, that the accused was now motivated to address his difficulties and was currently doing so. However, Mr Justice Olann Kelleher, having hear submissions in mitigation, jailed Mr Cawley for a total of seven months.