Rural crime in Ireland
I am interested to know if the current economic situation is having an impact on rural crime. I am conscious how many towns now use CCTV and with the closure of many rural police stations we have witnessed a significant reduction in visible policing - on both sides of the border. I am interested to know from a personal research perspective how crime is impacting on the rural economy and if certain types of rural crime are prevalent in particular parts of the country. I will provide a synopsis of my research observations to date when I have more time but for the time being over to you!
It has been my experience that voluntary action initiated at local level (community leadership) can drive society forward. The Pure Mile and Coastcare Initiatives are just two examples of how this can generate results with tangible effects.
The Pure Mile could seek funding for concealed CCTV cameras, sounds crackpot, but with wireless technology, can be done. This would help deter crime and flytipping.
Is it too much of an exaggeration to say that crime is now out of hand in rural areas or to say that it is spiralling out of control.
There are a number of reports of a serious heroin problem in a number of rural towns where there are no treatment facilities nor specialised response units.
If we look at how the heroin problem developed in Dublin during the recession in the 1980's as a vicious cycle, we could anticipate how it might impact on rural areas now.
One of the worrying differences is the affordability of heroin at the moment - a bag of heroin is now unfortunately cheaper than a few pints in the local.
But forget about heroin. In my own local town a new retailer has been reported in the local papers as selling Benzylpiperazine (BZP)and similiar drugs across the counter. Apparently while these substances are potentially harmful they are not outlawed. The reason apparently is that there are so many substances available at the moment that it is taking time to have each individual substance outlawed.
It would be foolish of us as people working and active in our communities to rely on legislation and enforcement alone to prevent these problems escalating.
We have at least a responsibility to inform ourselves and those in rural leadership of the potential catastrophe and how we might now avert it.
No it is not too much exaggeration and Bernard makes a number of pertinent points above. Heroin is now readily available and like other drugs is cynically marketed until the customer base broadens sufficiently - then prices will rise and so will crime. Often profits from theft or robbery are turned are used to purchase the drugs sold at a huge mark up in rural areas. So the victim suffers at both ends - the drugs user seeking quick sale items (notice how many ads for gold there are now) and the vendor network seeking a bank roll to buy in bulk. Interestingly a friend of mine who is a senior Social Worker cites recent experience of professionals living in rural communities who control their herion habit and budget for it as you would for the mortgage or car payment. We most emphatically need energised and informed communities who can take local action. If you look at what crystal meth has done in the rural mid west communities in the US we can see whats at stake.
Neville, I am also interested in this topic, particularly community safety in rural areas, your research findings will be very informative in light of the present social, environmental and economic climate and future strategies for rural communities.