Town park 'is not a safe place to be right now', says cllr
Mullingar Town Park is “not a safe place to be right now because of anti-social behaviour”.
That's according to Cllr Hazel Smyth, who believes that Westmeath County Council and the Gardaí should allocate more resources to tackling the problem.
Speaking at a recent online meeting of the Westmeath Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Smyth said that she has been contacted by a number of people about anti-social behaviour in Mullingar Town Park.
The Green Party councillor believes that there is “a need for a community warden to be there more frequently”.
“I am being told by Westmeath County Council that this is a matter for An Garda Siochana to deal with but I would strongly urge that we could allocate more resources to that part of the town. Our town park should be enjoyed by young people but it is not a safe place for them to be right now because of the anti-social behaviour that is happening there,” she said.
Responding to Cllr Smyth, Superintendent Alan Murray said that Mullingar Gardaí had met with school principals “in order to do something about anti-social behaviour when the schools finish in the evening”.
“We have put in a police plan for the town park. We have extra guards patrolling the town park and there are cameras in the park. Going by what has been reported to us or not reported to us it has quietened down for the time being, but is something we have to keep our eyes on all the time,” he said.
Cllr Emily Wallace said that anti-social behaviour is a problem in many communities and that she is involved with clubs where volunteers are being intimidated by youths who are also vandalising property.
“The Gardaí have been aware of it. There is a real issue for volunteers about how they manage teenagers and young kids, as young as eight and seven, where they are coming up and intimidating adults, threatening them. They are throwing stones at children and at cars. They are damaging property. How do clubs and residents associations and areas deal with that, because it is becoming a really serious issue...,” she said.
Cllr Ken Glynn welcomed the news that a new policing plan has been put in place for the town park.
He said the news that there will be a larger police presence in the park will “give a bit of comfort to people”.
He added that he believed that the council also had a role to play in tackling anti-social behaviour in the park.
Cllr Glynn said that he and Cllr Duncan have been in “constant liason” with the council and Gardaíabout anti-social behaviour along the bourdaries between Ardleigh, Woodlands and Oak Lawns.
“I know that Westmeath County Council has addressed the issue in relation to Oak Lawns, but certainly in Woodlands there are people being terrorised up there on a regular basis. Cllr Duncan and I have been working with residents and encourage the council to follow suit,” he said.
He asked that Mullingar Gardaí and the council work together to “move forwards towards a solution”.
The cathaoirleach of the JPC, Cllr Paddy Hill, said that anti-social behaviour is a problem for communities across the country and while the Gardaí “do their very best...the answer may lie closer to home”.