Crime 'surges' in Kildare village that has 'lost half its gardai'

An Aontú Clane LEA representative has claimed that Derrinturn, “one of the most dangerous villages in the district”, has lost half its gardai.

John Bryan has escalated calls for greater Garda resourcing at Derrinturn Garda Station, Kildare, sending a formal letter to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, Chief Superintendent Michael Buckley, and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD.

This follows concerns raised by Mr. Bryan, and subsequently by councillors, at a recent meeting of the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District.

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Mr Bryan outlined a significant decline in Garda presence in Derrinturn over the past decade, despite increases in Garda numbers at both county and district levels.

“Currently, County Kildare has 432 Gardaí, with 111 stationed in the Leixlip District. Of these, only five are based in Derrinturn — just 1.16% of the county’s Gardaí and 4.50% of the district’s,” Mr. Bryan stated.

“In contrast, Derrinturn had eight Gardaí in 2015, representing 2.56% of the county’s Gardaí and 10.13% of the district’s. This downward trend has had a visible and negative impact on public safety and Garda visibility in the area.”

Mr. Bryan further noted that Derrinturn has consistently maintained only 4-5 Gardaí in recent years, with no meaningful increase in staffing and even a loss of Gardaí despite County Kildare seeing a parallel increase in Gardaí.

“It’s clear that Derrinturn is being overlooked in terms of Garda resource allocation,” he said. “This is despite the fact that the village is repeatedly labelled as one of the most dangerous in the district.”

The statistics, he argues, reflect a disproportionate allocation of Gardaí, with Derrinturn’s share steadily declining while other parts of the district benefit from increased resourcing.

“This isn’t a matter of Garda shortages — it’s about how those Gardaí are being allocated,” Bryan added.

“Derrinturn has been left without the staffing levels required to deter crime and keep residents safe. As Garda numbers have dropped, crime has surged.”

In his letter to officials, Mr. Bryan wrote: “I respectfully urge you to address the urgent need for increased Garda resourcing in Derrinturn — including both additional personnel and extended station opening hours — to ensure our community receives the protection and support it urgently needs and deserves. I look forward to communicating with you further on the issue.”

Mr. Bryan also noted that, following consultation with local residents, a community meeting is being considered to give voice to public concerns and discuss potential responses.

“Derrinturn deserves to be properly allocated in terms of Garda resources and our residents deserve to feel safe in their community — I will continue to raise this issue and want to give members of the community a means to voice their concerns through a public forum.”