Chief Supt admits fall in Garda numbers in Mayo

The number of Gardaí in Mayo has fallen by 4.5%.

The Chief Superintendent for the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Garda District revealed the worrying statistic at last week's meeting of Mayo County Council.

Chief Supt Ray McMahon conceded that manpower is an issue in the county. However, he commented that 25 officers have also been transferred into Mayo in recent years.

The Chief Supt said there is a significant number of Gardaí seeking to move to Mayo but they need to be replaced in their current stations before any transfers can take place. Chief Supt McMahon said he was hopeful that this would eventually lead to more Gardai joining the ranks in Mayo.

Chief Supt McMahon delivered an overview of crime in the county with a 19% crime rate reduction last year. He said there has been a concerted effort to try and reduce the number of road deaths in the county.

There have been seven road deaths in Mayo so far in 2025, one less than the same period last year. However, he said he fears the high number of speeding detections in Mayo seems to indicate that “the [road safety] message is not getting through". 

Chief Supt McMahon said there had been a 75% reduction in burglaries in the past year. He attributed this dramatic drop-off to a successful Garda operation which has led to a number of arrests. The Chief Supt said burglary gangs from both inside and outside Mayo had been targeting homes and businesses in the county.

Chief Supt McMahon appealed to any individuals or families who are the victims of drug-related intimidation to come forward and seek assistance. He said 11 cases of drug-related intimidation have been reported to Gardaí in Mayo over the past five years, but he believes the true number of incidents is “considerably under-reported".

Fianna Fáil Cllr Michael Loftus urged Garda management to consider making Mayo a stand-alone division as the county is too vast to be amalgamated with Roscommon and Longford.

“The future of policing in Ireland is not working in rural areas,” said Cllr Loftus, adding that Mayo is worrying under-resourced.

“The number of people retiring versus the number of people joining the force is frightening. The numbers are the crucial thing and we have to get more Gardaí down to the west of Ireland,” said Cllr Loftus.

Cllr Harry Barrett said Gardaí in Mayo are doing their best with limited resources but warned that “morale is low”.