Town lives in fear of nine-year-old gang members

A SENIOR, Tralee-based garda officer yesterday called on parents to take responsibility for their children.

Business people, taxi drivers and others in Tralee are voicing growing concerns about antisocial behaviour, late night assaults, intimidation and a gang of out-of-control youths on the town’s streets.

People are afraid to venture outside after 10 o’clock at night, it has been claimed.

Supt Pat Sullivan said gardaí were doing their best, but parental responsibility remained the key issue.

He added that, on occasions when youths were arrested, parents would not come to the station to take them home, and, when gardaí went to the homes of such youths, parents were not there.

Supt Sullivan met Tralee Chamber of Commerce, on Monday, to discuss the situation, after previously meeting Tralee Taxi Association.

Chamber member Donal O’Brien said gang members as young as nine were involved in bullying and intimidation, from 10 o’clock in the morning, until 5am.

As well as causing a nuisance to businesses, he said, they were mugging people for money and phones.

“A lot of this type of crime goes unreported, because the victims are threatened,” said Mr O’Brien, from the town’s Akrakebabra food outlet.

“Some business people are also reluctant to report intimidation,” he added.

“Parents must be held accountable.”

Supt Sullivan welcomed the setting up of a Joint Policing Committee, in Tralee, saying a partnership approach would be the most effective way to deal with crime.

He said gardaí would welcome recommendations from business people, but added that businesses also needed to have proper security systems and CCTV.

Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris called on Justice Minister Michael McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to allocate more gardaí to Tralee.

Tralee Town Council, meanwhile, is to draw up a draft plan to tackle anti-social behaviour in housing estates.