Killarney Municipal District Council is to write to Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, seeking the appointment of a second community policing superintendent for the Kerry Division with a specific request that he or she should be based in Killarney.
Cllr Niall Kelleher said the position should be located at Killarney Garda Station and that the person appointed would have responsibility for all of south Kerry.
“It is important that we have two community engagement superintendents in the county as promoting as much engagement with members of the public could only be beneficial,” said Cllr Kelleher who is chairman of the Joint Policing Committee.
Kerry Division Chief Supt, Padraic Powell, said the operating model for An Garda Siochána is constantly under review.
Two superintendents have been appointed to new positions in the Kerry Garda Division with Supt David Callaghan now responsible for performance assurance which relates to internal standards, discipline and engagement with the Garda Ombudsman’s Office.
Supt Paul Kennedy, meanwhile, will now head up community engagement and he will operate from Tralee.
He replaces Supt Flor Murphy, from Killarney, who recently retired following a long and distinguished career in An Garda Siochána.
Supt Murphy spearheaded several high-profile investigations, including the reopening of the Kerry Babies investigation.
He led the cold case investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Charles Brooke Pickard in Castlevove in 1991 and he was the officer in charge during Operation Tarmac which led to the seizure of a luxury house, tens of thousands of euro in cash, stylish cars and designer jewellery in Killarney by the Criminal Assets Bureau.
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