Wednesday 16 October 2019

No effort will be spared in feud investigation

Garda bosses have said that 'no effort will be spared' as part of the ongoing investigation into the feud in Drogheda that saw a second man shot last week.

The incident, at the M1 Retail Park, has shocked the community and comes after a shooting last year and a series of petrol bomb and pipe bomb attacks.

'It is natural that people are afraid but as the Superintendent I will do everything with the resources available to ensure people are not living in fear.

'Investigations are ongoing and we are working on preventing further attacks.

'We have had an incident room open and it remains open.

'There have been a huge number of incidents during the course of this feud and our efforts in relation to solving those are ongoing,' Supt Andrew Watters stated.

The latest incident sparked much debate over garda numbers in the town, a debate that reached the floor of Dail Eireann.

At the height of the feud before Christmas, there were constant checkpoints around town, the majority with armed support in full view.

They have since been curtailed due to overtime issues.

The town was also allocated 15 gardai at the time, adding to a distinct police presence on the main streets. However, that number has been reduced to three.

Despite the issues with numbers, gardai say that the policing of the town remains constant.

And although the number of reported incidents decreased since Christmas, gardai were under no illusions that the threat had diminished in any way.

Indeed, gardai were praised for their work in keeping an intelligence led operation in place to curtail those involved and in the feud.

''We will be seeking to bring those responsible for last week's shooting and for the other incidents to justice,' Supt Watters stated.

'There is a full time team on this and we are dealing with a huge number of enquiries.

'We would welcome any assistance from the public too in relation to these investigations.'

Drogheda Independent