Appointments following garda division shake up

New Superintendent appointed to Cavan Garda Station.

A number of new appointments have been made following the merger of the Cavan-Monaghan Garda Division with neighbouring Louth.

The change, part of the new Garda Operating Model being introduced as part of A Policing Service for the Future, came into force December 3.

The divisional headquarters of the merged three county policing area is now located at the Millennium Centre in Dundalk; Cavan Town has responsibility for Community Policing, with a crime hub established in Bailieborough; Performance Assurance has been located in Carrickmacross; and Business Services in Drogheda.

The new garda appointments were announced on Tuesday, December 12.

Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern will take up responsibility for Louth/ Cavan/ Monaghan Garda Division from an office at the Millennium Centre, Dundalk.

Superintendent Gordan Englishby, Bailieboro Garda Station, has responsibility for Louth / Cavan / Monaghan Crime Functional Area.

Superintendent Ronan Carey, Carrickmacross Garda Station with responsibility for Louth / Cavan / Monaghan Performance Assurance Functional Area.

Superintendent John Callanan will now moved to Cavan Garda Station, with responsibility for Cavan Community Engagement Functional Area.

This role took effect from December 11, and he replaced Superintendent John Grant who transfers to Buncrana Garda District.

Supt Grant was assigned to Cavan back in October last year when former Cavan Supt Padraic Jones was elevated to lead the Garda National Community Engagement Bureau.

Supt Grant had shared his Cavan role with ongoing work investigating the circumstances behind the fatal explosion in Creeslough in Co Donegal last year. The blast at a building complex claimed the lives of 10 people and injured another eight.

Supt Callanan most recently worked as an inspector and later as superintendent in Drogheda, heading up several serious investigations into alleged gangland activity in the east coast region.

A fomer garda in Monaghan, in March of this year Supt Callanan was promoted in charge of the Strategic Transformation Office (STO), which is responsible for the development and implementation of the Garda Modernisation & Renewal Programme.

Elsewhere, Superintendent Patrick O’Connell, Monaghan Garda Station, with responsibility for Monaghan Community Engagement Functional Area.

Superintendent Charles Armstrong, Dundalk Garda Station, now has responsibility for Louth North Community Engagement Functional Area; and Superintendent Andrew Watters, Drogheda Garda Station, with responsibility for Louth South Community Engagement Functional Area.

An Garda Siochana say the restructure reflects international best practice as well as the realities of modern day policing in Ireland, the changing nature of crime and population trends.

The new model introduces major changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána by providing a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.

The Operating Model will see the number of Garda Divisions reduce from 28 to 21.

The aim is to enhance the investigation of crime through the delivery of a greater range of specialised services in local areas, such as the investigation of sexual crime, domestic violence, cyber-crime, and economic crime.