CLEAN UP WEST STREET
Plea to end drinking binges and parking woes
WAR has been declared on two fronts in a bid to clean up West Street in advance of the 2018 Fleadh Cheoil, now just five weeks away.
Councillors want a zero tolerance approach taken on drinking on the town’s main street, while disabled drivers have launched their own campaign to tackle illegal parking.
Cllr Paul Bell told the local Joint Policing meeting that people have had enough.
‘We have to get the alcohol bye-laws enforced,’ he stated. ‘ These people seem to be unchallenged, yet we have CCTV in the garda station. This is blatant - in broad daylight - it’s the same groups in the same locations and is becoming a growing feature on the town’s main street.’
Cllr David Saurin agreed, saying people have trays of cans under the benches and people walking by feel intimidated.
Supt Andrew Watters says the incidents are not going unchallenged and groups are often aggressive and at one stage last week, a garda nearly had to draw his baton as the situation escalated.
Local wheelchair users also staged a protest by leaving their chairs in parking spaces (pictured) to show how difficult it is for disabled drivers in Drogheda. Members say their message was well received.
GARDA BOSS VOWS TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR ON THE TOWN’S MAIN STREET AS COUNCILLORS SAY THEY HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC. HUBERT MURPHY REPORTS ON A GROWING EPIDEMIC.
THE residents of Drogheda are fed up with people using the town’s main street as a public toilet - and want action taken.
That was the overwhelming view of councillors addressing last week’s Joint Policing Committee meeting at Millmount, with Cllr Paul Bell saying he had received a number of complaints about individuals urinating on the steps of St Peter’s Church (main picture) and outside the Tholsel.
‘We have to get the alcohol bye-laws enforced,’ he stated. ‘ These people seem to be unchallenged, yet we have CCTV in the garda station. This is blatant - in broad daylight - it’s the same groups in the same locations and is becoming a growing feature on the town’s main street.’
Cllr David Saurin agreed, saying this was confined to the side streets but was now on the main street.
‘People have trays of cans under the benches and people walking by feel intimidated.
‘ There is a also a problem at the Highlanes steps.’
Chairman of the Joint Policing body, Kenneth Flood said that the byelaws should be enforced.
‘ There is a big influx of other people to the town and they are not engaging with the services. We only have one outreach worker to deal with this and a commitment from 2017 was not followed through. We need more outreach workers to deal with this.’
He also confirmed that there had been three attacks on people sleeping rough by gangs of teenagers.
Cllr Richie Culhane explained that he had spoken with a hotel owner who said that a group of Canadian visitors had returned to the hotel as they were worried being on the streets.
‘People were sitting on St Peter’s steps, lighting up a joint and drinking. I called a sergeant in the garda station and he went down. I would thank Donal McGivern for that.
‘We have a lot of migrant visitors to the town and there is an issue with anti-social behaviour on the main street.’
Cllr Pio Smith felt that gardai were doing their best with the resources they had but there was also a mental health issue associated with some cases and that is where the government had been lacking in supports.
Supt Andrew Watters said he could not deny there was a problem, but the incidents were not going unchallenged.
He said he had spotted one man with a box full of cider on the street and he was arrested and the drink taken off him.
The groups are often aggressive and at one stage last week, a garda nearly had to draw his baton as the situation escalated.
‘ This type of thing is not just in Drogheda. There has been a general increase in public order offences in the northern part of the country.
‘I won’t tolerate this behaviour but we are looking at resources.
‘Another major investigation has been taking place and we are dealing with that too.’
He said one man was arrested on the street and brought before the courts. He was granted bail and was back in court shortly afterwards.
‘With the Fleadh coming we want to get to grips with this. I want guards on the beat on West Street and when the patrol car is free - and that’s not often - it will be parked up on West Street.
‘We’ll do our best to eradicate this,’ he advised the members.