Community Alert Update – July 2010

The Delvin Community Alert meeting on Wednesday 7th July was the best yet with a very positive reception from residents, a good selection of guest speakers and representatives from Garda Síochána and Westmeath County Council also in attendance.

Fund Raising
Community Alert signs have now been ordered. To cover the cost of the signs and other expenses relating to the scheme, all local businesses will be asked to make a contribution and there will also be a church gate collection, details as follows:

CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION, DELVIN
Saturday 17th July at 8pm mass
Sunday 18th July at 11am mass
CHURCH OF ST. LIVINUS, KILLULAGH
Sunday 18th July at 9.30am mass

Remember, this scheme has been established to protect YOUR community. A small group of volunteers are giving their time free of charge to operate the scheme but your help is needed to cover any costs. Please give generously!

Child Safety
Summer is here and children are now off school. We are urging all parents and guardians to talk to one another and to take it in turn to supervise children at play.

- Remind your children of the dangers of talking to people they don’t know
- Keep children off the roads as motorists do not always take as much care as they should
- Always be aware of where your child is and who they are with
- When driving, slow down as a child could run out in front of you without warning

Village Weak Spots
We are continuing to compile a list of areas in the village that need attention. St Mary’s Church is already on the list, as are some derelict buildings. It was commented that an abandoned building site in Ballyhealy needs attention.

Please let us know if there are any more using the form below. Garda have been alerted to the locations listed so far.

Presentation By John Connolly, Crime Prevention Officer – Westmeath Division
There are approximately 25,000 burglaries in Ireland every year and there is no sign of this figure coming down.

Burglars want privacy and quick access. They are normally most interested in small items that they can just pick up and walk away with quickly, such as cash, jewellery, car keys, sat navs, laptops etc. Do everything you can show them up, confuse them and to keep them out of your home for as long as possible. Don’t leave attractive items hanging around where they might see them.

Most burglars are opportunists and some advice was given on how to make things harder for a potential thief.

Lock Up
DO NOT HIDE KEYS UNDER POTS – you may as well hand them to the burglar!

Check the locks on your front and rear doors. If you don’t have a deadbolt (requires a key to lock and to unlock), get one – these are much more difficult for a burglar to get through.

Keep windows and doors locked and fit a security chain to your front door. Leave the chain off before you go to bed (for fire safety) but use it when answering the door to strangers.

Be wary of cold callers. Always ask for ID and written quotations for any work before letting them do anything.

If you have a patio door, consider fitting an anti-lift lock to ensure that a thief cannot lift the door of its runners.

Always lock garden sheds! There may be nothing of any value to you in a shed, but a burglar may be able to find everything he needs to access your home in there.

Don’t leave ladders lying about.

Close gates – do not make it easier for a potential burglar to move around the outside of your home checking for weak spots.

Light Up
Improve the lighting around your home.

For the exterior, consider installing sodium lights that come from dusk until dawn. These are often thought to be more expensive, but once a light has warmed up they are not as heavy on energy as some believe. PIR lights use as much if not more energy every time they are triggered, and they can actually create a sense of fear when they suddenly come on.

Try to remove dark spots around your home, thus reducing the number of places someone can hide.

Do be aware of light pollution – make sure that lights are angled so that they do not flood neighbours bedrooms etc!

Random lights going on and off in different rooms can also help deter burglars. Leaving lamps on timer switches or purchasing timed bulbs is an effective way of suggesting that there is someone at home, even if a house is empty.

Tidy Up!
Look after your home! If your grass isn’t cut or your hedges are not maintained, a potential burglar may assume your house is empty. Its also a good idea to get your grass cut before you go on holiday.

Keep hedges limited to 6 foot in height as this will maintain your own privacy but provide an extra risk of exposure to a burglar.

Consider Getting An Alarm
Alarms cost money but they are a great deterrent and a burglar is less likely to tackle a property that has visible security in place.

While monitored alarms may raise issues remotely, it is a good idea to insist on having an alarm siren on the protected property itself to raise the alarm with passers by.

Do ensure that the installer has a PSA license and that the alarm conforms to current standards.

Above all, remember that if you see a stranger hanging around your own or a neighbour’s property, you should call the garda immediately!

If your home does get burgled, leave everything where it is and call the garda immediately. The burglar may have left something behind that will help the subsequent investigation.

Out & About
Keep your wits about you when using an ATM.

Do not use an ATM if the machine looks as it has been tampered with or if there are any unusual features or devices attached to it.

If someone is too close to you when using the machine, leave it and go to another.

Do not allow people to distract you during the transaction and always cover the key pad when entering your PIN.

Presentation By Noel McCarthy of Muintir na Tire
“Senior Alert” provides funding for the purchase and installation of a range of security and safety systems for persons over the age of 65.

Grants are only available through registered community groups, such as Community Alert. Any property purchased using the funding that is allocated, will be the property of the group that applied for the funding.

Delvin Community Alert will be registering for funding and will require names and details of elderly persons within the scheme catchment area who may benefit from installation of panic alarms and other facilities.

Please note that the grants are means tested and that those applying must either live alone or with another person of qualifying age.

If you would like to register for an assessment or wish to nominate an elderly relative or neighbour, please drop us a line using the form below.

Other Matters
The issue of motorists and lorries defying the new traffic calming measures and speeding through the village was raised, as was the absence of a pedestrian crossing and speed humps. Councillor Dan McCarthy was in attendence and advised that he had raised the issue of a pedestrian crossing with the NRA and that he had been advised that there are no funds available for a crossing at this time. He also advised that speed humps are being considered.

It was suggested that the area engineer, P.J Carey, be invited to a future meeting to discuss some of the points that need addressing. This will be looked in to.

Finally, the issue of the abandoned village enhancement was raised. Delvin was promised enhancements to the value of €750,000 at a public meeting in 2008 by councillors Paddy Hill and Frank McDermott. The funds were never received due to savage budget cuts, although similar work carried our in Castlepollard, Fore and Finea.

Although Community Alert is not specifically involved in campaigning for enhancement funds, some of the necessary works would enhance the appearance of some features in the village. This will be discussed further at appropriate points.

Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday 4th August at 8.30pm in St Patrick’s Hall.

DelvinVillage.Com
Delvin’s Community Website