THERE was standing room only in Ratheniska Community Hall on Wednesday night last for the launch of the local residents’ community alert campaign.
Spurred on by a recent spate of burglaries in the area, residents have now united in their effort to make Ratheniska a safer place to live.
PRO of Ratheniska Community Alert group, Betty Buggy, said: “There had been a lot of reported incidents happening in the area, so basically we are asking people to become more aware of what is going on in their community.
There have been a number of break-ins during the day, machinery has been robbed from local farmers and one woman even woke to find two men in her kitchen in the early hours of the morning.
“If residents see something unusual, such as a strange van in the area, take down the details and report it to gardaí or if they see suspicious activity to report it immediately and to check in on elderly people to make sure they are safe in their homes.”
According to Betty, each road in the Ratheniska area has a designated co-ordinator.
The newly-launched group is also in the process of erecting new community alert signs on each road and securing safety alarms for elderly residents who live on their own in the community.
The launch was also attended by Chief Supt Frank Moore, community policing sergeant Justine Reilly, as well as by the garda liaison officer for the area, Garda Wayne Farrell. A number of local public representatives also attended.
The new committee is: chairman, Har Ramsbottom; secretary, Kate Ramsbottom; treasurer, Liam Wall; PRO, Betty Buggy, as well as the community alert co-ordinators.