Concern about drug scene in Cavan town

The sinister appearance of so called drug debt collectors in the Cavan region in recent times and the presence of crack cocaine on the streets, together with the consumption of Buckfast wines, were some of the startling revelations made at a recent meeting of the joint policing committee in the town. Sinn Féin's Brian McKeown said he was pretty concerned about the drug issue and scene generally in Cavan town at present. He had observed recently that there appeared to be a bit of a fall off in the use of ecstasy and there appeared to be a new emphasis on the use of crack cocaine. He wondered if there was a marked increase in the number of people being caught in possession of crack cocaine around the town and is there growing evidence in the change of drug use around the town. It seems to be a new trend and he was perturbed by the fact that it was bringing a more violent streak to the surface in young people. "In the old days they used to go away and smoke a joint at the back of the hall. It was cheaper than the drink. Then they got a wee bit randy, pulled a bird and off they went," said the outspoken councillor. Cllr. McKeown also highlighted the fact that some time back a character was strutting around the town, donning a bullet proof vest and hit the town with a view to collecting the debts that were owed in relation to drugs. He also revealed that when he disappeared from the scene, the crime wave dropped by 50% and the attacks on homes and bombings in the town stopped. The town councillor also claimed that a new character has arrived in the region and also appears to be in the debt collection business. "When these characters arrive in a county, there should be zero tolerance towards them by the Gardaí," he said. The chairman Paddy O'Reilly said it was now an opportunity for the community to work with the Gardaí and let them know if any unusual individuals have arrived in their area. Superintendent Angela Willis said she had not detected a big change in the type of drugs being used in Cavan. The biggest change was the closure of the 'headshops' selling legal highs. "The substances they were supplying were worse than any crack cocaine anywhere. There had been some very sad long term effects for young boys and girls as a result of using substances form those shops. These so called legal highs had devastating consequences and also caused brain damage," she said. Supt. Willis accepted that there was crack cocaine available in Cavan and the Gardaí would be adopting a zero tolerance policy in relation to it. Fianna Fáil's Patricia Walsh said it might make sense to set aside an entire meeting to discuss the drugs issue in the town. "There are drugs out there and there is no point in saying there is not," she said. The closure of the headshops has made a difference, she added, but they can still order substances on line. It appears to be also possible to ring certain numbers and have the stuff delivered, outlined Cllr. Walsh. The young people are still getting these legal high substances. Young people also seem to be taking a mixture of drugs and Buckfast and that is the way it is. "I have to compliment the drugs squad and it is difficult work. Over the last number of months and even years they have taken a lot of drugs off the streets. There are isolated incidents around the town and it is only a handful of people who are causing the trouble," said Cllr. Walsh. The Chairman Paddy O'Reilly agreed that it was a small minority of people that were causing the trouble around the town and making life difficult both for the Gardaí and people residing in the town. He pointed out that the Gardaí are doing a tremendous job. He hoped the fleadh would go off incident free and thousands of people will go away with happy memories of their time in Cavan town.