Balgaddy residents decry ‘racial’ attacks
“RACIALLY motivated” attacks in Balgaddy, which locals claim are taking place in broad daylight, must be dealt with urgently, according to residents.
Concern for the safety of the community have come after a number of anti-social incidents in the area over several years.
Lorraine Hennessy, who lives in the area and is the Workers’ Party candidate in Dublin Mid-West, believes that the personal protection of residents must be taken more seriously.
She said: “We’ve had numerous cases of women and children being attacked in broad daylight in view of other children, being carjacked, having their property damaged, their windows smashed.
“Many of those attacks are racially motivated. Yet there’s little reporting of racism. There’s nobody looking at why all of these attacks are happening on vulnerable people.”
The issues have been ongoing in the area for some time and residents are now calling on Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald to visit Balgaddy.
Minister Fitzgerald told The Echo that she is “very aware of ongoing local concerns” that have been raised by residents in the area.
She said: “I have had a lot of contact with residents in Balgaddy and local gardaí about these issues. I take issues of crime and anti-social behaviour very seriously and am working with gardaí and have committed to meet with local residents on this.”
Ms Hennessy also revealed that there are issues with the recording of crime in Balgaddy, with many incidents going unreported.
She said: “It is essential that the gardaí are seen as a vital part of the community and that the residents have trust in the garda service.
“In particular, the community garda and juvenile liaison sections of the service should be expanded to include more gardaí who are specifically trained in dealing with young people and with family issues.”
Minister Fitzgerald plans to meet with the Balgaddy community in the future to discuss the concerns surrounding crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
