Limerick Gardai Introduce New Enhanced Text Alert System
Limerick Gardai introduce new enhanced text alert system in association with Limerick City and County Council. The pilot text alert programme for the Southill area was launched on Monday 12 Dec 2016.
The programme will allow Gardaí to advise local residents on safety and security issues and matters related to incidents that occur in the community in an efficient and timely manner.
Limerick Gardai Introduce New Enhanced Text Alert System. Pictured are members of St Joseph’s parish and the gardai who teamed up for an earlier, different text scheme in 2015. Picture: Mike Cowhey
The pilot scheme will piggyback on the existing ‘FreeText’ service already in place and run by Limerick City and County Council out of their local office in the Roxboro Shopping Centre.
Similar to text updates on the redevelopment of Southill, An Garda Siochana will provide information by text to each registered community contact.
The Text Alert initiative is designed to facilitate immediate and cost effective communication from An Garda Siochana to the public. This will be achieved in a structured and consistent way in conjunction with existing community crime prevention programmes (Community Alert, Neighbourhood Watch groups etc.).
Anne Cahill, Regeneration Project, Limerick City and County Council said: “We are delighted to welcome the gardaí on board with our system. Since the programme of regeneration began, we’ve always kept in contact with the local residents to inform them of what was happening. We found the Text Alert system was very efficient and very quick to get the message out.”
Inspector Ollie Kennedy from Roxboro Garda Station said: “Our Community Gardaí are very active in the community and saw how well the system worked so they saw an opportunity to get on board.
“It will allow us to get information out to the public in a very timely and efficient manner.
The gardaí would like to thank Limerick City and County Council for giving us the opportunity to link in with the system. We will be sending out alerts on issues such as appeal for information, and crime prevention.”
Our first alert to be sent out is : Gardai at Roxboro warn of recent distraction burglaries on the southside, please be vigilant of all types of workman ID badges and a reminder that ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
It is important to point out that ‘Text Alert’ is a one way communication system. There will not be any facility to reply to any of the texts. If you need to make contact with the Gardaí you must call into the station in person, or telephone 061 214340 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
To find out more about Limerick Gardaí click here.
To read more what Limerick Garda have been involved in click here.
