A veil of secrecy is being cast over Mayo’s new Local Community Safety Partnership (LCSP), which has replaced the former joint policing committee, stood down two years ago.
The long-awaited entity, designed to highlight and tackle law and order issues in the county, has controversially agreed to meet behind closed door without a media presence for all of its quarterly meetings this year except one.
The inaugural meeting, at which a chair and vice-chair were elected, was held without the local media  being invited to cover the proceedings and the majority of its 20 or so members are happy for it to stay that way despite important issues of public interest being discussed in holding policing to account.
Crossmolina Fianna Fáil Councillor Michael Loftus has been chosen to head the forum.
Councillor Loftus told Midwest Radio’s Scott Stevens today that he does not believe the media ban is a problem as the forum is being set up….
