THE CHIEF superintendent of An Garda Síochána in Limerick has rejected allegations that men caught in last week’s sting operation to tackle prostitution were “entrapped”, and warned that the operation would continue.
Responding to criticisms of the operation, Chief Supt Dave Sheahan, based at Henry Street Garda station in the city, said the operation was conducted “totally within the remit of the law” and all the men could have pleaded not guilty if they so wished.
There has been criticism of this Garda operation on social media sites.
There are over 40 comments on the Limerick Leader site, with some members of the public expressing distaste at how the Garda handled the operation.
However, Chief Supt Sheahan told the Limerick Leader: “I am disappointed that people would run with the idea that we would engage in entrapment. It wasn’t entrapment,” he said.
“What seems to have attracted the public’s mind is that we did this without telling anyone we were going to do it. We have checkpoints every day of the week for speeding and drink-driving but we don’t tell people we’re doing that and there’s no furore,” he said.
Last week, in a landmark case in Limerick, 27 men with addresses across the midwest appeared before Limerick District Court charged with soliciting prostitution services from undercover women gardaí. Six of those men have had their cases adjourned until next year, seeking statements before they enter a plea.
Chief Supt Sheahan also pointed out that the Garda “had no desire whatsoever” to have the names of the men printed in national newspapers.
“Once they were in the court that was a matter of public record. After that it was an editorial matter for the newspapers [to name]. But everyone thinks it was the guards. Gardaí had no input to name these individuals,” he said.
“I empathise with the situation they find themselves in, but it was not my decision to publish their names. I never wanted them named. I’m providing a public service and have rules and regulations to follow, and what we did was totally within that,” he said.
He said he could not comment on when or how the gardaí assessed whether the men should be charged, or what they said to these undercover officers which led to the charges, saying it was an “operational matter”.
However, it is understood that money does not have to change hands for a person to be charged with soliciting a prostitute, as a willingness and ability to pay could also constitute an offence.
Chief Supt Sheahan said Operation Freewheel, which began in mid-2010, was a “multiphased and graduated” operation to tackle prostitution in Limerick.
Since it began, 31 warrants had been obtained to search premises suspected of being brothels, and 126 people had been arrested as a result of their operations.
Of those, 87 people have been charged, including the 27 men brought before court last week for soliciting the services of prostitutes.
Overall the operation has led to 42 convictions, with fines imposed on 41 people, ranging from €100 to €600, with another person receiving a suspended sentence.
In two of the searches, gardaí found two minors working as prostitutes in brothels and these minors were placed under the care of the health services.
Following complaints by residents and business people in the areas where the men were later arrested, gardaí maintained “high-visibility patrols” on the street but these had “no effect”.
“No sooner were the guards moving on these people than they were plying their trade around the corner,” he said.
Parents waiting for their children to come out of numerous grind schools in the area were also approached, he said, and brought the matter to the Garda.
“As long as I’m chief superintendent here in Limerick this operation will be ongoing,” Chief Supt Sheahan said.