New Ardee Gardai Superintendent awaited with ‘baited breath’

Ardee Garda Station is without a Superintendent – and Louth’s Garda Chief says he has no timeframe for when a new man will be appointed to the helm.

Former Ardee Superintendent Fergus Treanor left the station last month, having been transferred to a position in the Cavan/Monaghan Division, leaving Ardee once again without a Superintendent.

For the moment, the station is being headed up by Drogheda Superintendent Andrew Watters, himself a former head of the Ardee Garda District.

Christy Mangan, Louth’s Chief Superintendent, says he doesn’t know when the situation will be rectified. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to get a superintendent and inspector in there,” he said. “I’m awaiting with baited breath to get a superintendent in there. It is an area that requires management.

“Superintendent Watters is covering two districts, it’s very unfair on him. It’s not a good position to be in. We need front line provision. It is not a good situation.”

Treanor lasted less than two years in Ardee having arrived from Longford in July 2016. Before his appointment, Watters spent 13 months in Ardee – with a vacancy in the superintendent’s office in Ardee lasting three months in between.

Now, Ardee is awaiting the appointment of what would be its fourth Garda Superintendent in three years.

The Superintendent vacancy in Ardee comes at an unfortunate time with senior Gardai figures confirming last week that drug crime and intimidation related to drugs remains a major issue in the town.

Meanwhile, new figures show that the number of burglaries in the Ardee Gardai district has risen by 52% year-on-year.

In the first five months of 2017, there were 59 such crimes committed in the area, but there were 90 burglaries between January 1st and May 1st this year.

Mangan confirmed there were a number of vacancies waiting to be filled across Louth - a Superintendent and Inspector in Ardee, as well as seven other positions elsewhere.