Text Alert Scheme goes live tonight

Scheme to improve securityThe official launch of the Kilcullen Garda District Community Text Alert Scheme will take place tonight, Friday 12 July, writes Sabina Reddy.

It will be held in Walls of Kilgowan at 9pm. The area covered will be Gormanstown, Kilgowan, Calverstown, Ballyshannon, Old Kilcullen, Sunnyhill and all other areas under the remit of Kilcullen Garda Station.

Our first Text will be sent tonight and will mark an important link between the community and our local Gardai, who will attend on the occasion.

So please come along for the, drinks, banter, finger food and to meet the neighbours and help make our community a safer place to live.

Text Alert 'evolving but positive'

Although there's as yet no national policy on how to operate it, the use of Text Alert in Community Alert schemes has been 'overwhelmingly positive', writes Brian Byrne.

That was the view expressed at the recent meeting in Calverstown where a CA scheme for rural areas around Kilcullen was officially started.

"It has been used to liaise with the Garda, to provide timely advice on situations, and to inform a locality about specific activities," the Muintir na Tire CA eastern region development officer Conor O'Leary said, adding that his organisation encouraged CA schemes to 'take a broad view' of their role.

Text Alert involves setting up a data base of family phone numbers in a CA area, and sending out texts on issues across the community once cleared to do so by the Garda.



At the Calverstown meeting, Cllr Martin Miley (on right above, with PJ Fagan)outlined the experience of the CA and TA schemes in his local area, initially in Booleigh and then linking with subsequent schemes in Narraghmore and Ballitore.

"The new motorway network meant that we were being targeted enormously by criminals involved in theft and burglary. For our first meeting we invited 35 people, and 45 came. Now we have over 700 numbers on our Text Alert system."

He detailed how a community had to be careful how the system was set up and operated, and that it must be used directly with the Garda. "There will be teething problems, and you have to give it time to settle down. But it's a fantastic scheme to have, and our experience has been very positive."

Cllr Miley also reported on how their system had evolved from initially concentrating on criminal activity to now being used for dealing with other community matters such as illegal dumping of rubbish.

He promised that the operators of the scheme would provide all the advice and support they could to the Kilcullen initiative.

Community Alert gets going

At a packed meeting in McParlands of Calverstown last night, a full Community Alert scheme for rural Kilcullen officially got under way, writes Brian Byrne.

It was the follow up to three previous meetings on the matter, and convenor Cllr Ivan Keatley said it was time for action rather than keep on having meetings.

Those present were asked to collect phone numbers and €10 from each household in their own neighborhoods, as a precursor to setting up the Community Alert combined with a Text Alert system.

Three designated locations for collecting and returning Consent Forms are Brennans of Old Kilcullen, McParlands of Calverstown, and Walls of Kilgowan.

It is envisaged that all rural areas in the Kilcullen Garda District will be included in the scheme, and actual boundaries will be decided by a Steering Committee upon receipt of the phone numbers.

The meeting was addressed by Conor O'Leary of Muintir na Tire, who advised that a full Committee should comprise representatives from each of the sub areas in the scheme.

He also detailed how the Text Alert system might work, though he said there wasn't as yet a national policy developed. In any case, the system should contact the local Garda first, who would decide if the text alerts should be sent out on a wide basis.

Gda Steve Kinneavy said the Garda would support the scheme fully, and asked that those involved not try and tackle criminals, but be the eyes and ears of the Garda in the area.

(We'll have further reports from the meeting as the week progresses — ED.)