GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SETTING UP A COMMUNITY TEXT ALERT
AREA
MUINTIR NA TÍRE
Getting Started
Ensure that your Community Alert Group is established and affiliated to Muintir Na Tire.
If unsure, Phone Muintir Na Tire head office 062-51163.
Ensure that the Liaison Garda is consulted and included in relation to the intention of the
Community Alert Group to establish a Community Alert Text Alert Area.
Ensure that the District Superintendent is asked to assist and support the intention of the
Community Alert Group to roll out A Community Text Alert Initiative in their Geographic
Area (Part of the agreed Community Crime Prevention Programmes just launched Feb 2013.
Page 9 (iv) (b)
Ensure that your group has adequate insurance cover.
Contact JLT Insurance on 01-2026000 or contact their website at [email protected]
It is advisable to have at least 8 to 10 members of your Community Alert Group who are
willing and committed to calling to all the households in your geographic area.
It is important that your Community Alert Group define and agree the geographical area
where they wish the proposed Community Text Alert Area to take place.
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Information to be given out to each household
Hand out to each household a form which they fill in allowing them to agree to become part
of the Community Text Alert initiative. (See sample letter) They may only participate in the
Community Text Alert Initiative, if they sign up with the letter of consent.
One member of the Community Alert Group agrees to take responsibility for the file
containing the names and addresses of the signed up members who wish to be part of the
Community Text Alert Initiative, this is a Data Protection requirement.
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SIGNAGE
The strategic location of Community Text Alert signs are agreed in consultation with a
member from An Garda Síochána and members from the established Community Alert
Group.
Please note that Community Alert Members MUST NOT ERECT THE SIGNS
THEMSELVES.
This is the agreed function of the Local Authority and once erected it is their insurance which
indemnifies them into the future.
So Community Alert Groups should at an early stage make contact with the Area Engineer
for their Local Authority.
Community Text Alert Signs are made to a designated standard as follows 12g Aluminium
panel of 600mm by 400mm with a non slip bracket to affix to a 75mm diameter pole. The
text for the sign should read:
Signs should be on a White Reflective background with Blue lettering.
(Any deviation of the above specification is likely to result in both the Dept. of the
Environment and the Local Authority seeking their removal)
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HOW THE COMMUNITY TEXT ALERT WILL WORK
The PHONE NUMBER of the local district 24 hour Garda Station will be located on all
newly erected Community Alert signs as above.
Therefore all members of that geographic area are encouraged and supported in reporting any
activity they deem to be of concern to them by using the phone number for the Gardaí on the
signs.
A proactive structure is agreed at Garda Superintendent Level that all calls received will be
acted upon in a timely manner.
Should the phone call to the Garda District Station be of interest to an Garda Síochána, then
they have the ability to contact the contracted Service Provider who can then send out a Text
Alert to a number of Community Alert Groups who have a Database of phone numbers in
place.
The wording of the text is agreed between An Garda Síochána and the contracted Service
Provider and can send out the text in a timely manner.
It can also afford an Garda Síochána the resource of a unique database that can be activated at
their discretion to help to stay one step ahead of crime in rural Communities.
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A register will be maintained at each Garda Station where information from the
various participating Community Alert Groups and information/alerts requests from
the Gardai to the Communities will be recorded.
The Garda Station will be available to respond to all phone call from members of the
Community.
In the event that the vehicle is not of interest to an Garda Síochána then no further
action needs to happen i.e. no text message will be sent out.
It is of vital importance that messages about suspicious vehicles /persons are notified
to the Gardai prior to any alert message going out to the community as Gardai may
have intelligence that would indicate it would be dangerous to approach some
criminals or there vehicles.
There may be times when the text looking for information is sent by An Garda
Síochána to the members of the community who have signed up to the scheme and
again this will happen through contact with the Service Provider who then sends the
group text out to all members.
The cost of sending the texts for a year will average about €300 and groups may ask
for a donation of €10 to €20 depending on their set up costs from each household.
Also groups may decide that a once off donation is their preferred choice
Some groups look for a one off contribution of €20 per household to get started, and
then hold an annual fundraiser in their community after that
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FEEDBACK
The feedback we have received as to the benefits of the Text Alert System include:
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Enhanced crime prevention status for Community Alert with improved
community/Garda participation and joint practical activities
Reduction in crime
Community feel safer
Increased communication amongst local residents via the text system
Increased communication between An Garda Síochána and the community
Better relations between An Garda Síochána and the community
Gardaí are now able to get information to the community instantly
Gardaí can canvass hundreds of subscribers in an instant should they require
information
That Community Alert will promote the best quality of life for people, and particularly older
people in Rural Communities by:
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Crime Prevention
Neighbourliness and Self Reliance
General Community Safety and Well – being.
Community Text Alert Initiatives will also help to foster and promote the agreed objectives
of the Memorandum of Understanding:
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The promotion of measures to reassure people living in rural Ireland particularly the
elderly
To raise the level of awareness amongst all people of the need for greater social
inclusiveness including crime prevention measures.
To foster greater collaboration between the community and An Garda Síochána
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