Shop staff terrorised by local gangs of youths

STAFF working in shops on Ballyfermot Road are being “terrorised” by gangs of youths, with reports of robbing and intimidation making life difficult and dangerous for shop workers along the area’s main thoroughfare.

Speaking at the JPC Policing Meeting this week in Ballyfermot, staff shared their stories of what it is like to work in the current environment, compelled to say so at a public meeting, because the situation has “got worse.”

“We are being terrorised. They are robbing and their attitude is ‘what are you going to do’. They may not all be major incidents, but it is not nice to go to work everyday, I’m not in a position to grab them,” said a female staff member of a local shop.

Another shop worker blasted the lack of response and support from local gardai, listing off recent robberies with dates, unwatched CCTV footage, and lack of replies from gardai to incidents.

“Whenever I call [gardai], I am told there is only one patrol car. I am told this story for 10 years,” said the worker.

“On the way here tonight, I passed the shops and the gang are standing there. They are all 15/16 years, nothing can be done. What can they do before action is taken, a stabbing, a killing? This is a joke.”

Inspector Paul Maycock said they will “burrow down” to find out why there had not been responses to some of the calls and offered staff the opportunity to speak to dedicated crime prevention officers.

He said there was two patrol cars for Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard but they might be needed to respond to incidents in other areas at any given time, or at court for garda business.

Cllr Vincent Jackson (Ind) said the problem is “surmountable” but requires a garda presence outside the shops and “taking of names.”

“Seriously, where do parents think their kids are all the time? I’ve two boys 9 and 10, I’d never put them outside Centra or Spar on Ballyfermot Road, and if they were there once, they would never be there again,” said Cllr Jackson.

“Personal responsibility is on parents – maybe some don’t care what their kids do when they are out for the day, but for the people that do care, they must be appalled. It is actually very sad, that a small gang of youths are holding staff to ransom.

“There is no secret pill you can take. It is a systemic problem. A physical presence with two/three gardai at the shops, taking names, nip it in the bud, rather than giving it wings by allowing it to embed.”

With regard to garda resources and reponses, Cllr Jackson said the community should “expect a reasonable amount of response.”

“We hear there is plenty of resources, but that is nonsense. We’d prefer to hear actual numbers. If we get four gardai but lose six gardai, then we have not gained anything, we are down two gardai. Basic maths. We are making a fool of people – we just need a bit of honesty.”