Change needed to tackle anti-social behaviour
COUNCILLOR George Lawlor called for an increase in communication between the Gardaí and local authorities in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour.
‘Gardaí don’t always look to local authorities as the body we should report to so the council may never hear about any issues,’ he said. ‘Given that we have the JPC and a good relationship with the Gardaí, is it possible that where there are incidents of anti-social behaviour, they inform us about them?’
Chief Superintendent John Roche said that if there was a pattern in anti-social behaviour, it would be beneficial for them to inform the local authorities. However, he said that data protection rules may determine the amount of information that they can provide. He told Cllr Lawlor that he will look into the possibility.
Cllr Lawlor went on to say that he had been informed of three consecutive nights of anti-social behaviour in an area the previous week.
‘It’s in everyone’s interest to put something in place,’ he said.
Cllr Ger Carthy said that he attended the scene on Friday night after the ambulance was called to assist a man having a seizure. He said that when they arrived they found people ‘ killing each other’ on the street.
Councillor Mick Roche also spoke about anti-social behaviour, saying that more needs to be done to prevent it in the Bridgetown area.
‘ There are no amenities in the area. There is no community centre,’ he said. ‘ There is nothing for young people to do but congregate in corners.’