'Absolute chaos' in Kildare village in lead-up to Halloween
Photo for illustrative purposes only
Local councillors have called for a permanent garda station in Kill, with a recent meeting hearing that there was “absolute chaos” in the village in the lead-up to Halloween.
At the November meeting of Naas Municipal District, cllr Bill Clear proposed that the members of the district write to the Garda Commissioner requesting that “urgent consideration” be given to the establishment of a Garda station in the Dublin-adjacent village.
Cllr Clear placed his motion in the context of “the continued growth of Kill and the surrounding area, together with concerns raised by residents regarding reported increases in crime and anti-social behaviour”.
He also requested that the commissioner reviews policing requirements in the village and surrounding areas, asking that the review looks at Garda resources, response times and crime levels.
Cllr Clear noted that the population of Kill has grown to 4,000.
He said there was “absolute chaos” in the village before Halloween, with older people “very concerned about the carry-on”.
He said that there is a growing anti-social behaviour problem, and said that a gang of youths has been coming to the village to steal cars and commit burglaries.
It was agreed by the members that the letter would be sent.
Cllr Fintan Brett said that several months ago he requested a “pop-up station”, which the gardaí expressed an openness to, but this has not materialised.
He said that the Superintendent Michael Buckley’s refusal to meet with councillors adds “insult to injury”.
It emerged in September that the Superintendent had rejected a request for localised private meetings with councillors to address local issues, pending further guidance from the Garda National Community Safety Partnership Support Unit.
