Juvenile delinquents terrorising neighbours

A GANG of juvenile delinquents who are waging a campaign of terror in a Limerick neighbourhood have gained iconic status among their peers, a senior garda officer warned yesterday.

Some of the gang are aged just 13 and are running wild on the streets, according to Supt Frank O’Brien.

He said some of the teens had been charged with up to 80 serious offences ranging from burglary and violent assault to joy-riding.

Another garda source said the group were running wild, knowing there was little likelihood they could be sent away given their age.

Supt O’Brien has now called an urgent meeting with Health Service Executive (HSE) personnel and other services to try and tackle the group of out-of-control teenagers.

“We are very concerned about them. There is a core group as young as 13, and they are attracting their peer group and have a kind of icon status in certain parts of the south side of the city,” Supt O’Brien of Roxboro Road garda station, said.

He said he had now decided, because of the age group involved, that a multi-agency strategy was needed to tackle the problem.

He plans to hold an urgent meeting with personnel from the HSE who deal with problem teenagers and also other groups involved with troublesome young people.

“There is a hard core in this group before the courts and some are facing between 70 and 80 charges. They vary from burglary, criminal damage, public order and theft from cars and shops,” the Supt said.

He said that as well as causing major fear in their own neighbourhoods, they were also preying on people in the city centre and shopping areas.

“They are impacting hugely on the community and on the wider community,” Supt O’Brien said.

“We have a very successful community policing system in these areas and we are determined to tackle these people with determination with the help of other agencies,” he added.