A crackdown on criminal activity in one part of Dublin has been welcomed with locals saying they can't be held to ransom by organised crime gangs.
5 young men, including three teenagers, were arrested on Saturday following a series of raids in Cherry Orchard. They were charged for a variety of offences and appeared before a special sitting of the Criminal Court of Justice.
The Armed Support Unit and the Air Support Unit were involved in the operation that targeted recurring criminal activities in the area such as criminal damage, stolen vehicle, dangerous driving and public disorder.
Local councillor Daithí Doolan has welcomed the crackdown but says criminals in the area need to be put out of business. He warned short bursts of Garda activity are not a long term solution.
Gardaí target criminal activity in Cherry Orchard. Welcome move but Govt must fully resource long term stratedgy in this community @GardaTraffic @DubCityCouncilhttps://t.co/fN8y2oL4n7 pic.twitter.com/qqDwOvJ3X0
— Cllr. Daithí Doolan (@DaithiDoolan) August 22, 2022
The Sinn Féin rep says a long term policing plan is needed for the suburb;
"This sort of activity peaks and troughs, it was at a height in January and February, I was up there myself, Gardaí took action and then it became more peaceful for a while and then in recent weeks it went off the Richter scale all together."
He says there was "robbed cars, cars being torched, roads being blocked."
