Anti-Social Behaviour Plagues NI

While more than half of all anti-social behaviour orders in NI relate to people living in the Ballymena council area, what the police also call, 'youths causing annoyance' is far from being limited to the Co Antrim town.

Yesterday, the Assembly heard that 20 ABSOs, 13 adult and seven juvenile, are currently in place in and around Ballymena, making it the NI capital of ASBOs - which are used to deal with people who persistently commit minor crimes that do not warrant a prison sentence.

However, while the figures were released in response to an assembly question by the DUP's Lord Morrow, who is the Stormont Justice Committee Chair, residents in the Rosemount area of Londonderry have said they have been "held hostage in their homes by anti-social behaviour".

Fourteen people were arrested in the over the weekend, Five adults were charged with disorderly behaviour and out of nine juveniles arrested, three have been released on bail and six released pending reports to the PPS.

One resident said the area at the weekend was "mayhem" with up to 100 young people gathering.

The PSNI's Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Deacon said large groups of young people drinking and causing a nuisance was "unacceptable" and told the BBC that he "would like to reassure residents that we will make full use of our resources, from seizing alcohol to reporting offenders to the youth diversion office".

Such behaviour remains a major problem: On Sunday, West Belfast MP, Gerry Adams met the PSNI District Commander for the area to focus on both the murder of Seamus Fox and wider concerns about what he said was the PSNI's "inadequate response to anti-social behaviour in other parts of the constituency".

In Newtownabbey, roaming 'gangs' of young people gather nightly around residential areas of Glengormley and pick sectarian-based fights with opposing groups, often causing misery to residents, whose homes and cars have been targeted in associated acts of vandalism.

Residents have expressed concerns at growing incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area.

Homes and cars in the Glebecoole Park area have been damaged in the past in incidents between young people from both sides of the community.

A resident said: "They throw stones and bottles, with one crowd at one end of the street taunting the other crowd gathered in the park."

Newtownabbey DUP politician, Alderman Nigel Hamilton said: "It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.

"Police have responded quickly to these incidents and should be commended for this, but noted: "These anti-social elements from both sides of the community are coming here from other areas. I want to see these people taken off the streets."

The incidents in Glengormley are nothing new, as the residents have been continually bringing up the matter with police commanders at both District Policing Partnership meetings and at the Antrim Line (Glengormley) Community Policing Forum.

This has been the case for several years with the PSNI committing extra resources, however, as PSNI Inspector Deacon said of his officers in Londonderry after the most recent incidents there, they would continue to address the issue of on-street drinking, but parents could not "turn a blind eye".

"When your children go out the front door they are still your responsibility so make sure your son or daughter isn't causing grief for your neighbours," he said.

See coverage of similar incidents during 2009: Glengormley Trouble Slammed

(BMcC/GK)