EUNAN Walsh, as the Sergeant in Charge of Letterkenny Garda Station, has been working on the front line since day one of the pandemic.
What he has witnessed most during that time is the growth of community spirit and the appreciation of the public for a Garda’s work.
When the pandemic hit last March, Sgt Walsh and his team quickly adopted new procedures to help prevent the spread of the virus. Among them were changes to the roster while accommodation issues meant that some mobile units were moved to Letterkenny IT with the community policing Unit relocating to the Letterkenny Youth and Family Service (LYFS) building near the Garda Station on New Line Road.
“Policing is a business that can’t stop during the pandemic and, with the exception of some support staff, it can’t be done remotely from home.
“This latest lockdown has been tough on everyone. Hopefully the roll-out of the vaccine will have the desired effect,” Sgt Walsh said.
A native of Ballyshannon, Sgt Walsh has spent much of his career in Letterkenny and he’s been Sergeant in Charge for the past ten years, replacing Mick Foy on his retirement.
“One of the first things we introduced last March was a Continuity Roster which involved members working a pattern of four days on followed by four days off, with all shifts lasting 12 hours. It was designed to ensure that the maximum number of Gardai on duty at any given time,” he explained.
That roster remains in place until the end of June.
“We’ve also introduced a buddy system whereby members are paired and work together. They share the same car every day for a month which reduces to impact should someone test positive,” he said.
In early January a total of 52 gardaí of all ranks were off work due to Covid-19 across Donegal’s Garda division. That number had dropped to fourteen, two in Letterkenny.
“The custody suite for prisoners is now a stand-alone part of the station with separate entrances and exits while all visitors have to wear a mask.”
Current restrictions mean that the night-time economy in Letterkenny has virtually disappeared although drink-driving and drug-driving detections remain high.
“Letterkenny is seen as being the entertainment capital of the North West but, sadly, that’s no longer the case at this moment in time,” he said.
Non-essential travel continues to make up the bulk of fines issued by gardaí for breach of public health guidelines.
According to data, more than 50 Covid related fines (€150) had been issued to people for attending unauthorised event/gathering (including house parties) across Donegal in recent weeks.
Almost three-quarters of the 400 fines to date were issued to people for leaving home without a reasonable excuse (€100). Two people were fined €500 each for organising an unauthorised event/gathering (including house parties) while two €80 fines were issued in Donegal for the non-wearing of face coverings in designated premises.
A further 22 fines have been issued to individuals who are not ordinarily resident in the country.
Latest Garda figures also show that there has been a reduction in public order offences and burglaries compared to the same period twelve months earlier.
Property crime was down 33 per cent while residential burglaries were down 57 per cent in comparison to the same period last year.
Thefts from shops (38 per cent), vehicles (50 per cent) and reported assaults (47 per cent) are also down. However, there has been a rise in the number of domestic violence incidents with as many referrals sent to the Child and Family Agency in January as there were in the first three months of last year.
A brother of 1992 Donegal All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Gary Walsh, it’s no surprise to learn that Eunan Walsh is steeped in the GAA. He is a coach with ladies underage teams at St Eunan’s GAA Club.
Married to Lourde, who works as a SNA in Little Angels School, the couple have three daughters Eimear, a Civil Engineer with BAM, Orlaith, third year Bio-Medical science student in Queens and Niamh, first year Commerce NUIG.
“At the end of the day we’re civilians too, albeit in uniform. We’re no different to anybody else in the community. We have families and children attending local schools here. We’re just doing a job of work,” he said.
At the moment that job includes restricting the movement of people with static and moveable checkpoints dotted around the county.
The 4Es approach (engage, educate, encourage, and only where provided for and as a last resort, enforcement) remains in place.
“We have a dedicated Community Policing Unit in Letterkenny who help to look after the elderly and other vulnerable members of the community.
“They work closely with Cara House and Letterkenny Care of the Aged to help with grocery shopping while they’re also available to collect prescriptions or whatever other errands are needed,” he said.
“I suppose it’s a throw-back to old style policing. At the end of the day we’re dependent on the public’s approval and support and if the pandemic has shown us anything it’s the importance of community engagement. I hope that continues when things get back to normal.
“Stopping on the street to chat to people is something that cannot be recorded on computer returns. We may have lost touch a little bit in that area but I think we’ve built it up again this past year and I hope it’s here to stay,” Sgt Walsh said.