A local rural development group is calling on communities in the Shannonside region to check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbours this winter.
Responding to a recent CSO report which revealed an increase in crime figures last year, Seamus Boland of Irish Rural Link is encouraging communities to come together and look after one another.
The Chief executive is particularly calling on areas with no alert scheme in place to set up a neighbourhood watch and link in with local Gardai.
With the clocks going back last weekend and nights becoming longer, the local organisation believes there's now an increased risk of criminality.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show, Helen Seamus urged the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to increase funding for community alert schemes.
"We need a greater investment in these programs because the fighting of crime is a gardai's instrument principally but it equally has to be done by these community alert schemes. There isn't enough money invested in getting these organised, in maintaining them ,and in providing the training needed. In my opinion they are on eof the single best deterrents to crime once they are running very well".
