People urged to speak out against crime

THE FATHER of murdered businessman Roy Collins has urged people to speak out against crime in their communities.

THE FATHER of murdered businessman Roy Collins has urged people to speak out against crime in their communities.

Steve Collins was among a panel of people invited to address a public meeting on crime held in Limerick.

The well-known local barman, who organised a peace rally attended by 5,000 people in Limerick following his son’s murder last April, said people were looking for change.

“People need to stand up and shout as much as they can because the people tonight are looking forward for things to change in their community and without standing up and roaring, shouting and getting at the politicians nothing is going to happen,” he said.

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Mr Collins, who has been nominated for the Rehab Person of the Year Award, said he was humbled by the nomination. “I never set out to do this for awards, I did this for my son and for his memory and any award that comes will be accepted in his memory,” said Mr Collins.

Chief Supt Gerry Mahon, who also addressed Tuesday night’s public meeting, promised to use every resource available to tackle gangland crime in the city. “I see my job as the commitment to your security and the principal blight on Limerick at the moment is gang-related activity,” said Mr Mahon. “There are a lot of serious gangs here at the moment and my commitment on behalf of An Garda Síochána and my own personal commitment is to take those gangs out of circulation, put them behind bars and remove the blight that’s on this community and right across the city,” he said.

He also insisted that a CCTV system attacked by vandals in the Southill area of Limerick last weekend would be replaced.

Two 30ft poles on which the cameras are mounted were knocked down by a stolen dumper truck at Keyes Park in Southill last Sunday night.

Assistant director of Limerick’s regeneration agency Kieran Ryan says every effort was being made to reinstate the cameras “as soon as possible” and said the damage caused to the three cameras was in the region of €25,000.

“We would hope to have the cameras reinstalled as quickly as possible as it is in everyone’s interest to have them up and running,” said Mr Ryan.

Gardaí are investigating the attack which they believe was carried out by a criminal gang.