Sinn Féin is carrying out an extensive survey on attitudes to crime in the peninsula.
The survey which will interview more than 1500 participants as well as numerous community groups will be compiled into a detailed report which will be presented to the Gardaí and the community in Donegal.
Commenting on the initiative, Cllr Jack Murray said there is major concern across Donegal about Garda cutbacks.
“There is a growing apprehension in parts of Donegal as to the increase of crime in the peninsula coupled with cuts to Garda resources and station closures.
“As political representatives we need to do all in our power to ensure crime is both stopped and prevented. We need to ensure the safety of our communities.
“Sinn Féin in Donegal meets and engages regularly with the Gardaí; we will also meet with the PSNI in the coming months.
“But to strengthen our case for extra resources we need expansive and detailed intelligence as to the impact and severity of crime in the county; we need to know what type of crime is most prevalent and where.
Sinn Fein are currently carrying out door to door surveys in Inishowen. This will involve 500 face to face interviews with an even demographic spread across the peninsula.
They will engage with community groups, sporting clubs and businesses to properly assess the mood of people on the ground.
“This project will also be rolled out in the Letterkenny/Milford area and along the border to Lifford with another 500 interviews in each of those areas.
“Once all the information has been collated we will present a detailed report to the Gardaí, local community groups and the media so that it can be consumed by the public.
“No project has ever been rolled out like this before in Donegal and I would ask everyone to weigh in behind us. This will strengthen our hand to argue for proper resources to be directed to our communities, for the betterment and safety of all.”
