Seized proceeds from CAB raids to come Longford's way
A six figure sum seized by Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) officers in targeting the assets and cash from drug dealers and criminal gangs will be reinvested across a wide spectrum of grassroot initiatives in Longford between now and the end of next year.
Aprroximately €150,000 ring-fenced for six locally based projects has been set asude from a new €2m Community Safety Innovation Fund Scheme which was announced recently by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
The move was revealed at a meeting of Longford Community Safety Partnership on Monday after the body's two year policy document was launched at Longford County Council's head offices by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) returned more than €5.5m to the exchequer last year following the seizure of assets from organised crime gangs.
It comes after recent figures showed CAB officials are actively investigating eighty-two targets across the Longford / Roscommon garda division.
The number of 'targets' under investigation across the Longford / Roscommon garda division has increased by 16, up from 66 published in the CAB 2020 report last September, as CAB intensify their profiling of the region.
Meanwhile, local homeowners will soon be able to to instantly report suspected crime and illegal activity courtesy of a new confidential text service.
See Something-Say Something is a free messaging service which will allow members of the public to pass on suspected criminal activity to local gardaí.
Launched in 2018, ‘See Something, Say Something’, is a follow its hugely successful Garda Text Alert predecessor.
A total of €2,500 has been allocated to kick-start the scheme in Longford with a large chunk of those monies going towards posters and the initiation of a broader publicity campaign.