Clampdown on Cavan Town shoplifters

Local businesses and gardaí have stepped up their efforts to combat shop thefts as they take the fight to known shoplifters.
Photographs of 20 well known shoplifters were circulated amongst Chamber members at a meeting held in the Farnham Arms Hotel last Tuesday night.
The pictures comprised only convicted shoplifters. Scores of business people crowded into this, the second in a series of meetings on the vexed issue, to express their growing concerns about shoplifting and other criminal activity in the county town. Gardaí are to attend a further follow-up meeting in the coming weeks to offer advice to business owners on how to deal with suspected shoplifters.
Eddie Coleman, president of the Chamber of Commerce, organised the Business Watch meeting in a step to tackle the shopping lifting menace, in liaison with gardaí.
The list circulated included men and women, people from Cavan Town and numerous other nationalities, some of whom are currently in custody.
Inspector Micheál O'Donoghue said that everyone on the list had been convicted in court as shoplifters. He urged shopkeepers to put up immediate information about the presence of any shoplifters on the Chamber's new 'Whats App' group. Over 30 businesses are on the social messaging platform, and they also intend to share information on people passing forged notes in their shops, and then alert gardaí to take immediate action.

'Steal to order'
Apart from the revelations at the Chamber of Commerce Business Watch meeting, The Anglo-Celt now has learned from senior garda sources that they have intelligence to suggest that some of the shoplifting is being planned at a location in Cavan Town, on foot of a so called ‘steal to order' criminal business.
Our Garda sources observed, unless there are people to order the stolen items at knock-down prices, the shoplifters would not continue to target shops. Items being stolen to order include watches, rings, laptops, mobile phones and school bags and cash from various places including shops.
Valuable items are also being stolen from cars and a number of elderly citizens had money stolen from their bags, having either left the post office or bank. 
In one instance a criminal stood in a bank and watched to see who was withdrawing cash, followed them and took the money from their bag. It was only when the person arrived in a shop and went to look for money, they realised it was gone. 

Drugs
Following the meeting The Anglo-Celt also learned that gangs are responsible for distributing drugs in and around the town, by car and bicycle to homes.
Some people were able to tell The Anglo-Celt that drug deals are being done openly on the streets, just like “exchanging chocolate barsâ€.
At the Business Watch meeting, Eddie Coleman said that some anti-social elements stand on the footpath and intimidate customers walking past and going into particular shops, and asked Inspector O'Donoghue if anything could be done about this. Inspector O'Donoghue said he was aware of the situation and pointed out that a lot of garda checks have been carried out in recent times, both early in the morning and late at night. He said to leave the issue with him and together with his officers, they will have a look at the activity during the day which frightens customers away from businesses.
Inspector O'Donoghue said they will tackle the issue and report back on the situation at the next chamber meeting with the gardaí. 
Inspector O'Donoghue also urged all business owners to let the gardaí know immediately about any suspicious activity in the town and not let it develop. 
Mr Coleman welcomed the greater presence of gardaí on Cavan Town's streets and urged all attending the meeting to memorise the faces in the photos circulated.