More drunkenness as economy improves

THE number of fatalities from traffic collisions on Cork roads for the first four months of this year has increased compared to the same period last year, a recent meeting of the Cork County Joint Policing Committee (JPC) was told.

Head of the Cork West Garda Division, Chief Supt Con Cadogan said there were seven fatalities in Cork within the past four months, with three of those having taken place in the Cork West Division, two in Cork city and two in the Cork North Division. This compares to five for the same four months of 2017.

Serious injury collisions were down from 21 to 17, while non serious injury collisions rose from 145 to 191 and material damage only collisions increased by 79 from 1,704 to 1,783.

Meanwhile, figures for assaults causing harm were down from 144 in 2017 to 105 this year, while minor assaults were also down from 432 to 389.  Public order offences were down too from 670 last year to 568 this year but drunkenness offences were slightly up from 403 to 421, which Chief Supt Cadogan attributed to the  rise in the economy and fact people have more money to spend. Arson was down from 42 to 26 and criminal damage was also down from 663 to 541.

Gardaí also visited eight licensed premises to conduct test purchasing of alcohol by under 18s across all three divisions, which was down on 16 test purchasing for last year.

‘We did this in West Cork and six premises passed because they asked the purchasers for ID and the majority of publicans obey this law. If you are aware of this happening in a licensed premises, then come and report it,’ said Chief Supt Cadogan.