Watch: A ‘frightening’ incident in Letterkenny in broad daylight

Recent incidents occurring in Letterkenny have been described as “frightening”.

A video circulating online shows an incident on Lower Main Street in broad daylight, showing three individuals surrounding a blue jeep, which proceeded to drive across the pavement to get away. 

“What's going on here on the streets of Letterkenny? This is frightening,” Aontú’s Donegal representative, Mary T Sweeney, who shared the footage, said.  “Someone could have been very seriously injured or hurt. 

This comes following an alleged public order incident in which a man was reported to be  “wielding a knife” on Letterkenny Main Street, according to An Garda Síochána.

The incidents have led to calls for increased garda numbers and presence on the streets. 

“We definitely need more Gardaí on our streets and questions about what happened in this video,” Ms Sweeney added,

Moreover, Christy Galligan, a retired Letterkenny-based garda, described the situation as “extremely worrying.” Attributing the cause of the incidents to a lack of visible frontline policing and foot patrols.

“The recent attacks on Letterkenny's main street are extremely worrying,” Christy Galligan told DonegalLive. “The visible policing that we had some years ago has been reduced to negligible numbers. 

“Looking at recorded images of a man wielding a large knife in the market square, or the attack on a driver and passenger outside a newsagent's on Lower Main Street by a gang of thugs, shows that the model of policing that has been introduced does not work.

“Sitting behind a computer is not policing. If this trend continues, our own main street, like areas of Dublin or London, will become a virtual no-go area for visitors and citizens alike.

Time after time, we the public, and those of us who have policed in this state, have seen the reduction of visible frontline policing in towns and cities, unless you live in Dublin, and even there it seems criminals have a free rein..

“This reduction in foot patrols, on a 24-hour basis, has led to a culture of feral groups of youths and adults running amok, who know that there's very little by way of consequence or punishment for their actions. Courts no longer have the capacity to send repeat offenders to prison because of overcrowding and the lack of spaces, and if they do, they know those same offenders will be released in a very short period.

“If we want to attract tourism and investment in our towns and cities, then we need to be able to show that our Garda force is properly equipped and resourced to stop the anti-social behaviour that we witness all too often. Statistical analysis will not reduce crime or antisocial behaviour; only strong, visible, and zero-tolerance policing will.”