Traders in Edenderry, Co Offaly have reported a noticeable fall-off in crime and break-ins since the installation, at their own expense, of CCTV cameras and the allocation of extra Garda resources.
Earlier this year, local business people complained the town was being targeted by raiders arriving in cars from outside the area, especially in the early hours of the morning.
They believed Edenderry provided easy pickings because of its proximity to the N4 and the fact there were no garda∅ on duty in the town after 2 a.m.
However, since the traders began their campaign for an increased Garda presence, they have seen a big improvement.
Two new garda∅ are now on duty in Edenderry and there is increased coverage to 22 hours a day. The success of cameras installed by some businesses, at substantial cost, prompted a recent decision by the town commissioners to fund two public cameras in the square, a problem area for public order offences at night.
Mr Tom O'Connell, chairman of Edenderry Town Commissioners, admits some people were not in favour of going public on the town's crime problems.
But he, and others, now believe the public campaign has been vindicated by the noticeable drop in problems in the town.
Mr O'Connell says there has been a "remarkable change" in Edenderry since the mid-year campaign for improved security and policing.
"We had tried everything, including going to the Minister," he says. "Within two weeks of us going public we had the extra garda∅."
The crimes perpetrated by what business people said were "organised" gangs, included a raid on a supermarket in the main street, which has since installed £25,000 worth of camera equipment.
Mr Dermot Hall, who owns a menswear shop in the main street, agrees that the crime levels have dropped, in particular since the Garda presence was stepped up.
"People are more secure in their businesses," he says.
The cameras installed privately by traders have also been a deterrent and he thinks the new public cameras may also be a "good idea".
Mr Hall says the area where the cameras will go often sees bad problems with speeding cars, motorbikes and general public-order problems when people congregate after they come out of discos.
One senior local garda confirmed Edenderry's crime rate had dropped since the increase in coverage to "almost 24 hours".
"It certainly has made a difference - no doubt about that. We were a target there because of its geographical distance from Tullamore and from Dublin," he said.
He believed "everybody will welcome" the cameras to be purchased by the town commissioners.
"When you have an incident, the first thing we always look for is some sort of security footage," the garda said.
Asked whether convictions had been secured on foot of such video evidence, he said suspects had been arrested and charged.
"Even in this country it's a new concept. It's found in some parts of England to have reduced public order offences massively - by up to 40 per cent in some places. But they have moved down this road out of necessity."
Edenderry was no different from many other towns in terms of public-order problems, however.
"People have more money and they are drinking more and when everything comes together, sometimes you have incidents."
The Department of Justice has recently begun to provide funding for cameras in a number of towns under the Garda CCTV scheme.
The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, announced in November 2000 that he planned to offer grants to towns to install CCTV where a local body, such as a chamber of commerce, had already expressed an interest in installing them.
The announcement of this scheme was to be made early in 2001 but has not yet emerged.
There was no information available from the Department of Justice on when the scheme would be introduced.