€2 including VAT • UK delivery stg£1.74 www.munster-express.ie WATERFORD’S LEADING NEWSPAPER FRIDAY 15 MARCH 2013 +286( /2&$/ +20( &21),50$7,216 )($785( $775$025( 1HZV 1HZV The beautiful photograph, taken at sunrise on Tuesday morning, shows an almost clear sky as dawn broke over a frozen landscape at Tankardstown, Bonmahon. The icy stillness of the blue Atlantic and snow covered Comeraghs combine to give the scene an aura of nature suspended in time. | Photo: Patrick O’Sullivan Spring snow causes early traffic chaos LF\VWUHWFKHVLQDOODUHDV ZDVGHHPHGKD]DUGRXV DOWKRXJK ORFDO DFFHVV URDGV RQDPDMRUVWUHHWFRUQHU WKHVLWXDWLRQLQLWLDOO\VRSHRSOH KIERAN WALSH AND ,QWHUPLWWHQW VQRZ VKRZHUV 7KHUH ZHUH VHYHUDO PLQRU DQGPDQ\UHVLGHQWLDOHVWDWHV 7DLOJDWLQJE\VRPHPRWRULVWV ZHUHFDXJKWXQDZDUH MICHELLE CLANCY DQGDVHYHUHIUHH]HOHIWPDQ\ FROOLVLRQV UHSRUWHG DFURVV UHPDLQHGVOLSS\WKURXJKRXWWKH DVWUDI¿FPRYHGLQVHFRQGJHDU ORFDO HVWDWHV LPSDVVDEOH RQ XUEDQDQGUXUDODUHDVRQ7XHV GD\ IURP:DWHUIRUGWR7UDPRUH 02725,676DQGSHGHVWULDQV 7XHVGD\ PRUQLQJ 7KHUH ZDV GD\ PRUQLQJ DQG LQ WKH FLW\ 7UDPRUH ZDV KLW SDUWLFXODUO\ PDGH LW D OLWWOH GDQJHURXV ,W DFURVV:DWHUIRUGFLW\HDVWHUQ GLVDSSRLQWPHQW IRU EXGGLQJ WKH )ROO\ DQG 3ROHEHUU\ ZHUH KD UGRQ0RQG D\Q LJ KWD QG7XHV WRRNVRPHPRWRULVWVKRXUV SDUWVRIWKHFRXQW\DQG6RXWK VQRZPDQEXLOGHUV KRZHYHU µLPSDVVDEOHWRFDUV¶DFFRUGLQJ GD\PRUQLQJZLWKKHDY\VQRZ WRPDNHWKHMRXUQH\DORQJWKH .LONHQQ\ HQGXUHG WUHDFKHU DVDOOEXWRQHRIORFDOVFKRROV WRRQHORFDOUHVLGHQW%ULJKW %\ FRPPXWLQJ WLPH RQ 7XHV 7UDPRUHULQJURDGWR:DWHU RXV FRQGLWLRQV RQ 0RQGD\ UHPDLQHGRSHQ3DVVDJH(DVW VXQQ\ FRQGLWLRQV ERRVWHG WKH GD\PRUQLQJPLQRUDFFLGHQWV IRUGDVFDUVZHUHEORFNHGRUQRW QLJKWDQG7XHVGD\PRUQLQJDV 1DWLRQDO 6FKRRO GHFLGHG WR &LW\&RXQFLO¶VJULWWLQJSUR ZHUHDOUHDG\KDSSHQLQJZLWKD PRYLQJ7KHUHZHUHIHZZDUQ VXE]HUR WHPSHUDWXUHV FDXVHG FORVHDVHQWU\LQWRWKHYLOODJH JUDPPH GXULQJ WKH PRUQLQJ %XV (LUHDQQ YHKLFOH VWUDQGHG LQJVRQQDWLRQDOUDGLRDERXW NEWS 15 March 2013 | The Munster Express Waterford city: City crime up 12%, burglaries up 21% of burglaries increased by Cllr Gary Wyse (FF) said “Err on the side of caution. up 30% from 170 to 185 last alert prevented crime and MICHAEL QUINN 21 per cent. criminals were watching Callers at the door should year. The main problem people felt more secure. Thefts from shops and people’s movements and never be allowed into the areas were Passage East and Supt Delaney said he was BURGLARIES in Water- vehicles and the unlawful he asked if premises were house and most elderly peo- Woodstown where people aware of the case in ques- ford were being carried out taking of cars went up and being properly secured at ple should have an alarm parked their cars and went tion. by people desperate to get topped 1,937 in 2012 com- night. set up in their homes.” for a walk. As a result of quick reac- money to buy drugs, the pared with 1,725 offences Determination Aggravated burglary The unlawful taking of ve- tion by the Gardai, many Joint Policing Committee the previous year. In reply, Supt Delaney said showed a major reduction hicles rose from 103 to 121. criminals had been ar- was told in Waterford, last One of the biggest areas he did not believe that and was down from 14 in- Supt Delaney said other rested near the scenes of week. of increased crime was home owners leaving their cidents in 2011 to just 5 last thefts, including the theft their crimes and evidence Up to 70% of burglars had burglary. There were 537 doors unlocked was the year. of diesel oil in rural areas, had been recovered from a drug habit and heroin burglaries in 2012 which main reason for the high The detection rate in Wa- was very difficult to detect. their cars. was the largest contributor was an increase of 114 on level of burglary. terford was 46% which was But when patterns were This negated the need for to crime, explained Supt the previous year. Burgla- It was down to the deter- up 2% on the previous year. identified, measures were victims to go to court to give Chris Delaney of Waterford ries increased particularly mination of the criminals Thefts from shops in Wa- put in place to combat this evidence. Garda Station. in the last quarter of 2012. who were both local and terford reached 657 last crime. One phone call could be A significant number of The detection rate was 29% transient. It was very im- year which was a decrease Robberies in Waterford the catalyst, he said. burglars were heroin ad- which was well above aver- portant to forewarn the from the previous year. were down from 76 in 2011 Regarding criminal dicts and the particular age. Gardai. All reports would The successful detection to 67 last year and three- gangs, he said the Gardai drug was difficult to detect. The Gardai were deter- be treated with confidence. rate of 80% was due to CCTV quarters of them were suc- had targeted criminals out- It was time consuming mined to get on top of bur- Old fashioned policing and surveillance and a new cessfully detected. side Waterford and arrested and laborious work for glary and they needed ‘eyes reacting to tip offs cut out strategy introduced with Cllr Davy Walsh said an people and brought them the Gardai and took many on the ground’ and co-op- a lot of investigation work. the co-operation of traders. alert neighbour in Green back to the city. hours of surveillance to erations with Community Burglaries were very trau- Waterford Gardai had Oaks in Ferrybank noticed Detectives from Water- seize it. Gardai. matic for elderly people. made an application for suspicious activity recently ford had travelled all over The overall volume of Residents of housing “Do not feel bad about extra CCTV cameras in the and alerted the Gardai who the country to arrested crime in Waterford city in- estates were urged to be ringing the Garda Station city centre. were at the scene within criminals and search their creased by 12% during the aware of the movement of if you see something suspi- Vehicle theft up 30% five minutes. homes and many files were past year while the number people in their areas. cious,” he said. Thefts from vehicles were This kind of community now before the DPP. Drink and Tramore hit hard by weather drug driving on increase KIERAN WALSH MICHAEL QUINN 75$025(ZDVUHDOO\KDUG KLW RQ 0RQGD\ QLJKW DQG 7XHVGD\PRUQLQJZLWKIDLUO\ '5,1. 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