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Late-night Buncrana "like Vietnam"
13.05.11
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
A MEETING of Buncrana's Joint Policing Committee has
heard first hand accounts of ongoing anti-social
behaviour on the town's Upper Main Street, with one
resident describing the area as being “like Vietnam”
after night clubs close.
Members of the public attending Monday's meeting
were critical of the lack of gardaí on the beat,
which they felt allowed anti-social behaviour to
escalate.
Local resident Patricia Tinney said that there were
problems with youngsters playing football across the
Main Street in the evening, and described the
atmosphere on weekend nights after the nightclubs
closed as being “like Vietnam”.
“The Gardaí just aren’t on the street, unlike in the
past, it’s hard to see a Garda on the Main Street.”
John O’Donnell, who sits on the Buncrana policing
committee, said that patrolling in squad cars and
paddy wagons wasn’t enough.
“Foot patrols see and hear more, and a Garda on the
street is a deterrent in itself. There isn’t enough
patrolling, and the Upper Main Street is the area
that needs most attention after night clubs close at
the weekend.”
O’Donnell also expressed concern at youths playing
football across the Main Street on the fine summer
evenings.
“It’s very dangerous. Someone is going to be killed,
and then it will be the driver of the vehicle that
will be blamed.”
Details of damage caused to two businesses premises
last Sunday night, 8 May, were also aired at the
meeting.
Eunan McLaughlin of Mac’s Bookshop, proprietor of
one of the premises damaged, said that there had
been no foot patrol on the Main Street on Sunday
night, but CCTV had shown the squad car passing on
three or four occasions.
“The area from the O2 alley to the West End needs a
Garda presence,” he said. “The previous
superintendent promised to deliver this, but it
didn’t materialise. If we get the Garda presence, it
will resolve the problems.”
Mr McLaughlin paid tribute to the support he got
from Gardaí on Monday as they investigated that
incident. |
Cllr Lee Tedstone, a
member of the Joint Policing Committee, said that he
would hate for the message to go out from the
meeting that all young people were engaged in
anti-social behaviour.
He spoke in support of installing a CCTV system, and
said that education programmes could be delivered
through the schools.
Joe McGinley asked Superintendent English whether he
had adequate resources to police the area. |
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Superintendent Kevin English. |
Acknowledging that he
cannot have a Garda stationed on every corner, Supt
English revealed that there are 84 Gardaí, 5 Garda
reservists and six civilian staff in the Buncrana
district, which covers all of Inishowen.
He also said that statistics revealed the
burglaries, thefts and damage to property fell in
Buncrana between 2009 and 2010, and that the trend
was continuing into early 2011.
Joint Policing Committee chairman Cllr Joe Doherty
said that the message coming clearly from the
meeting was that the public want to see a greater
Garda presence on the streets. |
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