Anti-social behaviour Public Meeting called for Saintfield
Alliance Councillor Patrick Brown has arranged a public meeting for Saintfield residents at the new community centre next Wednesday to address issues of recent anti-social behaviour in the town.
Speaking about the reasons for holding the meeting, Cllr Brown said: “Following a sharp rise in anti-social behaviour in Saintfield in recent weeks, I have organised a public meeting in conjunction with Saintfield Development Association to discuss ways we can tackle this problem.
“It will take place on Wednesday 17 July from 7pm-8pm at the new Saintfield Community Centre on Belfast Road, and various, relevant public agencies will be in attendance to discuss what services or support is available to tackle ASB in the community. All members of the public are invited to attend and Saintfield residents are encouraged to attend in particular, especially those in the Comber Street/New Line/Old Mill areas which have been most affected by ASB recently. The more people attend, the better our chances of sorting this problem out before it gets any worse. “
The Saintfield Development Association (SDA) is working with Cllr Brown to organize the meeting and has been very concerned at the increase in anti-social behavior in Saintfield. A spokesperson for the group said: “ASB seems to be on the increase in the Saintfield area, which SDA believes is not only due to a lack of amenities to keep the youth engaged, but also to the noticeable lack of a police presence, especially in the evenings.
“Young people are gathering in various areas, including the Downpatrick Street car park, the parking area at Fair Green and around the sports club, leaving good amounts of litter to mark their presence.
“Over past months, however, this has taken a more serious turn. There have been instances of vandalism to flower beds and planters, commercial and residential properties have had their windows smashed by rocks on Main Street and Comber Street, and derelict properties have been broken into.”
