CRCFM
Tiger Kidnappings and Mayo Advertiser Editor on CRC
By Johnny Oosten
13, Nov 2009 - 22:06

Mayo Advertiser Editor, Toni Bourke is a special guest on CRC FM radio on Monday 16th November next when she will talk about living and working in Castlebar and her life in journalism.

Mr Paul Murray, Head of Communications with the Irish Hospice Foundation will also feature as a guest on the 'Good Morning with Joan' show where he will address the end-of-life issues that face older people in relation to death and dying.

There was a great reaction to Dublin based security expert, Joe Ryan of Glenevin Ltd, who spoke to Joan on her new weekly show the previous week, which goes out on 102.9FM from 9am-11am.

Mr Ryan addressed the issue of the outbreak of Tiger Kidnappings in recent times and the danger of violent thefts filtering down to the small business level.

Anyone who deals in cash from supermarket attendants to sports club officials is susceptible to becoming a victim of the new ‘Tiger Kidnapping’ crime, stated Joe Ryan, adding that one unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn was that criminals will now go after anyone in control of cash.

"Cash is King and we’re not talking about millions of euro here. Takings of €20,000 are considered a good day’s work so shops, supermarkets and organisations dealing in these amounts are just as much a target", he said.

Fortunately there is a way to prevent the trauma of abduction and threats that characterise ‘Tiger Kidnapping’ occurring, according to Mr Ryan, who said it was all down to how aware people are prepared to be.

"The people involved in these attacks are professional criminals who invest time and effort carrying out surveillance of their targets. They follow them, watch their movements, and sit in cars outside their homes to see who is the last person to leave. They may use several different cars and several different people to do this work to avoid detection so people really need to work at being aware".

Mr Ryan said it was a responsibility of those in business to ensure that the people in charge of cash were aware of the risk involved and trained in how to prevent becoming a target.

"They should learn to check in their rear view mirrors to see if they are being followed and be sure to keep watching someone who they think may look suspicious. If a criminal thinks he is being observed he won’t commit the crime."

To test if you are being followed Mr Ryan recommended that motorists approaching a roundabout should drive the whole way round to test the situation. If they are being followed they will know for sure then and should be able to shake the criminal off."

Westport solicitor Karen O’Malley was also a guest on the show and outlined how mediation has become much more popular in relation to disputes. "Mediation is a voluntary process that can save parties so much pain and trauma. Disputing parties come together with a neutral third party - the mediator - with a view to reaching an agreement, so the adversarial nature and fighting a case in court is done away with."

You can tune in locally to CRC FM on the radio or on-line from anywhere in the world by logging on to www.crcfm.ie and clicking, ‘Listen Live’ or contact the station directly on 094 90 25555, e-mail studio@crcfm.ie