Members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) have been deployed into Limerick’s most notorious housing estates in an attempt to tackle the increasing level of gangland violence, it was announced tonight.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has ordered members of unit onto the streets of troubled housing estates in Moyross and Southhill.
The measure comes just days after a gunman opened fire with a high-power machine gun on a number of houses in the city.
Garda patrols have been stepped up in St Mary’s Park following the shooting in which several homes belonging to senior members of one of the city's feuding factions were sprayed with machine gun fire on Tuesday night. There were no injuries reported.
"There has actually been a reduction in serious incidents, but I accept that we are on a tinderbox," Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan
Local public representatives have called on the Minister for Justice to introduce emergency legislation to deal with the feuding gangs.
During a visit to the city today, Brian Lenihan likened the explosive atmosphere in some areas to a tinderbox.
"We have to confront the gangs who have poisoned life here in Limerick - that’s number one priority as far as law and order is concerned," he said.
The ERU officers, who will accompany ordinary uniformed gardaí, will be fully equipped with riot gear and armed with automatic pistols and automatic assault rifles.
They will carry out vehicle checkpoints and will have the power to stop and search suspects on the ground. "We are engaged in a relentless war against these thugs," said Minister Lenihan.
"We have had some success in the last year but I do accept that we’re on a tinderbox here in Limerick and we just have to keep working at it."
The Justice Minister met with the Garda Commissioner and Defence Minister Willie O’Dea to discuss Limerick’s gangland feuding at Roxboro Garda Station in the city.
He insisted an extra 80 gardaí already drafted into the city were helping to bring down the number of serious offences. "The additional gardaí has intensified the pressure on the local criminal classes here, there’s no question about that," he said.
"I’ve been told that by senior gardaí here on the ground. That’s what’s led to a reduction in the incidents but we have to keep up that pressure in a sustained way." Minister Lenihan also said work was being carried out to prevent a new generation of criminals coming through in the city.
"There are very disturbing reports here in Limerick of very young youths involved in anti-social behaviour, involved in public disorder. We really have to put the mechanisms in place to stop that for the future," he said. But he ruled out calls for the lengthy detainment without charge of gangland suspects.
The chairman of Limerick's joint policing committee, Kevin Kiely, yesterday called for the internment of members of the city's feuding gangs. "It has now got to the stage where emergency legislation is needed to deal with the matter, and I think he has to look at internment, so that these people can be locked away."