The Garda Commissioner doesn't believe having the regional headquarters for the Sligo-Leitrim-Donegal division in Letterkenny will have any impact on local policing in the Shannonside region.
Drew Harris hopes that changes to the wider north-west garda division, announced in 2019, will begin later this year.
During a detailed presentation at the first meeting of the year of Leitrim's Joint Policing Committee, the head of the Gardai claimed that Letterkenny would be the future divisional headquarters, moving from its current base in Sligo and the regional armed support unit for the three counties will also be based in Ballyshannon.
He claimed that locating the HQ in Letterkenny was as a result of the geography in Donegal specifically as he was "fearful" of not having a presence in that area and its implications for access to Derry.
The Commissioner also claimed that more sergeants and inspectors would allow for more "interface" between Gardai and the public and having the HQ in Letterkenny would make no difference to local policing.
Councillor Sean McGowan claimed that it would take as long for someone in south Leitrim to get to Greystones as it would to Letterkenny, and that it should have been located in Manorhamilton.
However, the Commissioner claimed that he had to work with the buildings and estates already in garda possession and to move to Manorhamilton would take years and a significant building project.
Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken also outlined to the meeting that across Sligo-Leitrim so far this year €400,000 worth of drugs have been discovered by Gardai as well as €152,000 in cash - of which three significant drugs and money seizures have been made in Leitrim so far this year.
