More garda patrols planned for People's Park in Limerick following rise in antisocial behaviour
COUNCIL and gardai are stepping up their efforts to stamp out drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in the People’s Park in Limerick city centre.
Meetings have taken place between the top brass of the Limerick garda division and council bosses. The authority is keen for officers to up their patrols at the popular amenity to ensure the safety of visitors, in particular young children and elderly people who have found themselves targetted.
Council has requested a more visible garda presence, and have moved to provide the force with documentary evidence of crimes taking place in the park which a local representative says is happening “on a daily basis”.
Councillors are to put in place a plan to tackle the issue, which has spiralled out of control since the end of Covid-19 restrictions.
The local authority has confirmed the number of dangerous incidents there have “significantly increased, the main issue being drug dealing”.
Local councillor Joe Leddin said youngsters and elderly people have become victim to “intimidating, bullying and harassment” when visiting the park – and added it’s the worst he’s seen things in his almost 25 years in politics.
“I’ve been told by neighbours and people who have gone into the park that they have witnessed 13, 15 and 15 year olds actively intimidate and bully similar aged and younger children in and around or adjacent to the playground which is extremely concerning,” he said.
It comes with €200,000 being pumped into the park’s playground in order to create more accessible equipment for people with mobility or sensory issues.
Councillor Leddin is worried if there isn’t a more visible garda presence, children with disabilities may find themselves vulnerable to being identified or targetted.
Even as it stands, he said people are avoiding the amenity, saying: “It’s incomprehensible people cannot walk through one of the finest parks in the country without the fear of being intimidated, attacked, assaulted or asked for money. It’s just not acceptable for people to have to make that decision.”
It’s for this reason he raised the matter at the metropolitan district, where he was told of the actions by council director Nuala Gallagher.