Alex Easton MLA has organised a public meeting with the Council and PSNI over continuing anti-social behaviour at Linear Park and the Ashbury shops.
Speaking today Alex Easton MLA said:
“I have felt that the on-going anti-social behaviour has been going on for far too long, with 22 fires being set in the Linear Parka and 10 recorded cases of anti-social behaviour around the Ashbury Shops and anti-social behaviour reported to the PSNI that enough is enough, and we need to allow residents the opportunity to come together to show their unhappiness but to also demand that the Council and PSNI take action to resolve the current problems”
“I believe that the lower Linear Park needs to be locked at night time the same as the upper part of Linear Park which is very successful. I also believe that there needs to be conversations with the owners of the shops to make the area less attractive for that small minority of youths who are involved in anti-social behaviour a less attractive location to hang around. There is also a need for more patrols with the PSNI and Council anti-social behaviour teams to target the times and key areas were the anti-social behaviour is occurring. And finally I believe there needs to be some sort of approach taken to help youth development within the area to try and help find solutions and offer different alternatives to those youths that want to cause problems.”
“At the meeting there were commitments given by the shop owners to put in a security Guards in the evenings and also for the PSNI and Council Anti-Social behaviour team to coordinate more patrolling and there was also a commitment from local Councillors to raise the issue at Council with a view to putting gates at the other end of Linear Park. I sincerely hope that something will come out of this public meeting and would thank residents, the Council and PSNI for coming and listening to the concerns of the residents of Ashbury, finally I would thank everyone who turned up and also a thank you to the Council, PSNI, FASA and the local Presbyterian Church.”
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