“There are people in this community who are not sleeping at night out of fear. People don’t feel safe in their own homes and communities. This is no way to live.” So said Kevin Keenan at a public meeting in Swanlinbar, Co Cavan last week as the community came together to fight back against criminal gangs targeting rural areas. They have formed a ‘Local Area Protection Group’, who respond to suspicious activity in their area as they await Gardai.
When Kevin spoke to Anton this morning he was keen to stress that the group will not be taking up arms, but despite the obvious risks of tackling crime they will do what they can to protect their local community and the people in it.
“This is not a vigilante group’ “said the headline in a report in the Anglo Celt newspaper by Sean McMahon last week, and speaking to Anton, Kevin was keen to stress that whilst they will be vigilant about what goes on in their community, they are not vigilantes.
The group has already had an impact. After just a few days in existence, as Kevin reveals they came to aid of woman whose car stolen as she opened a church. Using local knowledge of lanes and country roads, two members of group found car hidden in a shed across the border.
They cite a lack of garda resources in area as one of the main reasons for forming. A few locals had discussed rural patrols but the final straw to motivate them into action was an aggravated burglary on two local pensioners by three masked man. Their car had been spotted in area PRIOR to robbery, but this only came to light AFTER robbery.
If suspicious vehicles are spotted, members of the group will contact the Gardai then each other to make it their business to find out who’s in car and make life uncomfortable for them rather than wait for them to commit a crime.
LOCAL REACTION: How the Anglo Celt newspaper covered the group's first big public meeting
There is now over 30 members of the group and texts and emails from listeners suggest the Swanlinbar group will not be the last of its kind in the country, as rural communities unite to fight marauding criminal gangs.
Kevin said what will stop groups like his forming will be extra Gardai on the beat, and a re-opening of rural stations.
