Concern has been raised about the failure of Gardai to circulate crime statistics in advance of Donegal County Council’s monthly Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meetings.
The issue was raised by JPC member, Joe Boland, at last week’s monthly meeting in Lifford.
He felt the failure to circulate the stats in advance was a ‘slight’ on committee members.
“I’ve raised this at every meeting and still we have received no reports in advance,” Mr Boland said.
“I’m frustrated that we cannot go through these reports. Is that a reflection on the JPC that we might be circulating these figures to someone else? This is a slight on us (members).”
In response the Garda Chief Superintendent for Donegal, Aidan Glacken, said that was ‘absolutely not’ the case.
He stressed he was legally precluded from circulating crime stats in advance of the meeting. He added the figures are not official until they have been validated by the CSO and that it’s not his intention to circulate them before future meetings.
Mr Boland went on to claim the figures were not being circulated because members of the local media were present. Some of the figures were displayed, briefly, on a screen high up on a wall behind where the media were sitting, making it very difficult for them to see.
Sinn Fein Councillor, Mickey McMahon, said Mr Boland had a ‘valid point’ and that all matters on the agenda should be circulated in advance of the meetings.
Chief Supt Glacken responded, saying he was ‘here to be held to account by the public and the JPC members’.
“It’s just that I’m precluded from circulating the figures in advance, but maybe I can circulate them in redacted form in future,” he said.
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