Property marking training days planned for February

Training will be provided to gardaí and community groups on property marking on February 9 in Athlone and Streete, PPN representative Kathleen Grennan announced at a Joint Policing Committee meeting in Mullingar in January.

She said a new procedure was being introduced to ensure wider usage of the device throughout the county and it was already in operation in some areas.

Ms Grennan reported that a new 16-seat disability friendly community garda bus had been launched in Athlone. It will be staffed, maintained and driven by a community garda and will support community groups attending events, training and educational opportunities, in and outside the county.

PPN

Westmeath PPN (Public Participation Network) representatives would like to become part of a new working group being set up to enhance the use of CCTV systems in the county.

They would also like to support, promote and increase the number of community alert and text alert systems in the county. Ms Grennan pointed out that most community alert groups are represented on the PPN and therefore, it is perfectly placed to inform, consult and support them on matters relating to their groups, including funding, information and feeding in to national consultation programmes.

Funding workshops are being held on January 29 in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone, and on January 31 in Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar.

Ms Grennan remarked that community policing continues to engage actively with community groups and in particular with the RAPID structure, which is having a positive effect on the designated areas.

The PPN promotes garda crime prevention materials and regularly includes on its monthly newsletter garda articles, posters, timely advice and information on crime prevention.

They also circulate contacts and information on public safety and victim support in their newsletter and give out advice from the gardaí and the RSA on road safety.

Ms Grennan pointed out that Westmeath Comhairle na nÓg won a Leading Light award for its road safety day, attended by more than 1,000 secondary school students, in Athlone last September.

She said it was a wonderful event and “may it continue every year”.

The chairman of the Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Paddy Hill, thanked Ms Grennan and the PPN for the work they are doing.

Property Marking Machine training, Streete community hall 9 February 4.30-7.30pm.