Reported drug-related intimidation just 'tip of iceberg'

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has said that the number of drug-related intimidation incidents reported to gardaí are just "the tip of the iceberg".

Mr Kelly also described as "unfathomable" the fact that there were a number of similar incidents in the days following the arson attack in Waterford earlier this month, which claimed the lives of four people.

The issue was a major focus of the latest public meeting between the commissioner and the Policing and Public Safety Authority in Co Cavan.

Mr Kelly told the meeting the issue was "nothing new" and can range from threats to damaging property to as far as causing death.

He said that sometimes drug debts are being sold to another criminal group, who can then set the debt at a higher amount.

The commissioner said it is "hugely traumatic" and "terrifying" for families caught up in it, and urged them to come forward to gardaí or engage with 'DRIVE', a national programme set up to tackle the problem.

He said: "It doesn't matter who you are.

"Even if you are a drug supplier, or your son or daughter is, if the family is subject to DRI, that doesn't matter to us.

"There shouldn't be any stigma about coming forward."

He said there should be no stigma in reporting, that people can do so anonymously, and that gardaí can also gather evidence against people without the need to take a statement of complaint.

An average of 600 incidents of drug-related intimidation are reported to gardaí annually, but the commissioner described reported incidents as "the tip of the iceberg".

Gardaí are trying to capture data on the pulse system, with "drug-related intimidation" now listed as a motivation.

However, he said that motivation has to be established.

People going through drug-related intimidation were urged to seek support and advice.

"I encourage people, before you make any decisions around anything, seek some advice," he said, adding "seek help".

Mr Kelly said: "People should not be alone in this."

"I'm not saying criminal justice is the automatic solution for everything in this.

"The worst thing for me is to think of a parent or grandparent facing this on their own."

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Watch: Cavan public meeting to discuss drug-related intimidation

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The amount of time gardaí spend dealing with mental health issues was also the subject of discussion at the Policing and Public Safety Authority meeting.

Chairperson Elaine Byrne said the authority was "struck" by the amount of time spent on the issue and that gardaí were going "above and beyond" in this regard.

She said that members of the public often say "we need more guards", but it was important for the public to understand the draw there is on garda resources around assisting people with mental health issues.

The meeting heard that Co Cavan had the highest rate of suicide in the country.

Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern, from the Louth/Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division, said gardaí in Co Cavan were dealing with a traumatic incident "every 40 hours".

He said there had been 71 mental health incidents to date this year in the county, with 41 of those detained under the Mental Health Act.

He outlined that it could take several hours to get a person in custody assessed by a doctor, and if further referral is made to access specialist services, that can take several more hours to get the person the help they need.

The garda commissioner said that there "is no alternative" to what gardaí do at the moment, but that it was also "what the public expects us to do".

"Sometimes we have to fill those gaps. Sometimes with stresses on health services at the moment, there isn't an alternative," he said.

Mr Kelly said the delays in the system were not new, "but there is certainly more of it than there ever has been".

Mr McGovern also highlighted the challenges in policing a border county and the importance of cross-border cooperation with the PSNI.

He said that criminals "don't recognise borders" and there were a number of ongoing operations targeting criminal activity in the area.

The garda commissioner said he thinks the relationship between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI "is probably at maybe the best it's ever been".