Since mid-October there have been a number of crimes in west Cavan, Leitrim, and here in Fermanagh. Quads bikes, lawnmowers, and other agricultural equipment have been stolen in the Dowra, Blacklion and Belcoo areas. Parked cars and vans have also been targeted, while cash and valuables have been taken from homes. 

On October 27th a pub was broken into in Blacklion, and on the same night a house was burgled in Bellanaleck.

Cavan councillor John Paul Feeley pointed out these are only the crimes that have been reported, and said there may be others. Urging the community to report crimes to the police or gardai, and to look our for their vulnerable neighbours, Cllr Feeley said both authorities were working together to combat the problem. 

“Some of the incidents would give the impression that the criminals involved were making use of the border as a mechanism to avoid detection,” he said. 

Cllr Feeley said there was close cooperation between the Garda and the PSNI, and said he had been  in regular contact with senior gardai and called for increased resources for rural areas. 

“There are regularly gardai on duty and patrolling the area outside of those hours. That being said there is a sense of isolation in rural communities such as those in west Cavan and this crime spree has certainly raised the levels of concern greatly,” he said. 

Cllr Feeley also asked for the community to play their part, urging locals to remain vigilant and to report any unusual vehicles or individuals to the gardai or police immediately. 

He added: “I would also appeal to people to be careful of their property and to keep an extra eye out for older or vulnerable people living locally. We can never stop crime but each of us can play a part in making crime more difficult.”