The Justice Minister has instigated a review of the effectiveness of Community CCTV amid calls for the closed circuit system to be placed at motorway junctions across the Premier to curb roving criminal gangs.
Meanwhile Francis Fitzgerald has also launched a new strategy to tackle repeat criminal offenders.
Cathaoirleach of the Thurles Templemore Municipal District Councillor John Hogan believes a key way of catching travelling criminal gangs – is knowing that they are coming in the first place.
Both the M7 and M8 which both traverse the county have been identified as being used by roving gangs who target villages and towns close to the various junctions before escaping back onto the high speed motorway network.
In September Environment Minister Alan Kelly announced that his department would be looking at the possible use of a closed circuit TV system on motorways to detect and deter criminals.
Local representatives in Mid Tipp- which has been repeatedly targeted want such a system rolled out here first.
Government Fine Gael TD Noel Coonan says he has been in touch with the Justice Minister about this who is now looking into community CCTV and is confident it will get the green light.
Meanwhile
Tipperary County Council is being urged to play an active role in getting CCTV rolled out to communities across the Premier.
The camera system is already in place in most of the large towns such as Nenagh, Thurles and Clonmel and has played an active role in curbing crime.
Sinn Fein's David Doran believes community based schemes could be very effective
However Fianna Fail's Seamus Hanafin who was involved at Chamber level when Thurles' system was installed says it can be a very costly affair.
Elsewhere, Francis Fitzgerald has launched another strategy today to try and tackle repeat criminal offenders.
Two programmes will target prolific burglars, a third will target violent criminals and a fourth will be for general offenders.
The strategy will look at alternatives to jail for some repeat offenders – who are involved in low level but continuous crime
Minister Fitzgerald said serious and serial offenders will still go to prison but the programmes will be there when they get out on temporary release of after sentences are completed.
The new scheme will see greater co-ordination between the Gardaí, Prison Service and Probation Service.
Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Michael Donnellan says it’s about changing the way we deal with offenders.
