WEEKLY POLL Shops, businesses and Loitering

billy the squid

Ok have a think about this.

Around limerick we have many corner shops, and even some in town, where undesireables hang around causing passers by grief

This weeks question Should there be implications from Liemrick city council for businesses who allow loitering outside their premises

Please post your views

I am also seeking suggestions for next weeks poll.

IrishMike

Pretty harsh to say the least to say that a shop should get a fine or even be closed
became there are people loitering outside it. There should be an effort on the
shopkeepers part to get rid of the loiterers if they are causing a problem. But if they are
just hanging out i dont really see much of a problem. Then again if 15 undesireables are
standing outside your shop you dont need the threat of fines to sort it out. It is gonna
get sorted out because it is gonna scare away customers.

billy the squid

There are one or two shops (which for legal reasons shall remain nameless) where you see youngfellas hanging around. They have in the past caused trouble to people, not necessarily customers of that shop , but just people passing by. tet they continue to hang around there eyeing up people who they deem could be a good mobile phone or handbag snatch.

billy the squid

Ok then this story appeared in the Liemrick Leader this week. It is semi-related to the topic at hand.

City shops may ban hoodies

LIMERICK Gardaí are considering following the footsteps of Scotland Yard by getting city shop owners to ban people from wearing hoodies and baseball caps inside their stores in a bid to slash crime in the run-up to Christmas.

The Gardaí say almost 99 per cent of robberies in city stores are committed by thieves wearing hoods, baseball caps or scarves in an effort to disguise their faces from identification and CCTV cameras.

Less than a fortnight ago Merseyside Police announced that the wearing of caps and hooded tops is to be banned in shops across Liverpool as part of a police effort to cut crime.

Now Henry Street Gardaí are considering asking city stores and shops to introduce similar measures.

Sgt Liam Sheehan from the Crime Prevention Office in Henry Street Station said it could be a practicable step in an effort to prevent robberies in city stores.

"It is a very interesting idea," he added. "It is one that has not come up before. We will have to look at it and consider it.

"It may be something that could be of good use to us and stores in Limerick," added Sgt Sheehan.

He said almost 99 per cent of robberies committed in stores were by people who tried to hide or disguise their faces with clothing.

"They nearly always wear hoods over their heads, baseball caps or both together and possibly scarves," he stated.

Across Liverpool, shoppers are asked to remove caps or hoods when they enter stores or shopping complexes. Accompanying posters on shop windows tell people they have to pull their hoods down and take their caps off before they can go in.

Most financial institutions and post-offices across Limerick require people to remove motor-cycle helmets before they enter the premises.

John Kenny, centre manager of Arthur's Quay Shopping Centre, said security staff there were always conscious of people wearing hoodies.

"Over 80 per cent of robberies in here are committed by people wearing hoodies or caps," he added. "They usually wear track-suits and runners as well - that seems to be the trend.

"There is always someone monitoring the cameras here and if someone enters the complex dressed in that attire, they are a suspect straight away. We deal with each case individually."

Mr Kenny said they have not considered the banning of wearing hoodies and baseball caps in the store. "We have not discussed it, but it could be something that might work," he stated.

"We have not planned anything like this, but it may be something worth consideration."

He also reported that many thieves who are accompanied by an accomplice switch clothing inside Arthur's Quay in a bid to avoid detection. "After taking something, they might change jumpers or tops to try and fool security staff or those watching them," he reported. "They try to get away without being stopped."

Similar crime preventive measures to those on Merseyside were first implemented in stores throughout Basildon, Essex in 2003. Police reported a sharp decrease in crime in the following five months.

Authorities in other English cities are also considering introducing the new ban on hoodies and caps.

Linkage http://www.limerick-leader.ie/issues/20041106/news02.html

Mr E

A bit harsh, Billy. The only place in town where loitering is obvious is outside HMV. I don't think theres any harm, to be honest. They aren't causing any trouble (that I can see, anyway...)

Have you seen them bag/phone snatch? (Is there a different shop you have in mind?)

IrishMike

Banning hats and hoodies in shops is also a bit drastic.
I am pretty partial to wearing the odd baseball cap every now and then, but in saying
that i dont see it as being much of a problem whipping it off 2 walk into a shop then put
it back on again when you leave. If it cuts down crime then it cant be a bad idea imho.

billy the squid

Well if theyre going to put BOUNCERS outside a CHURCH things must be bad in town, The augustinian church has bouncers on the door.

klong

thats a bit harsh...kinda like fashion police so???

people will find ways of getting around this

frantic_mel

we were really slagged on The Panel last night. We usually are when anything to do with Limerick has been mentioned on the news...

frantic_mel

I find the people sitting outside HMV very intimidating. Its bad enough with the crowd inside, never mind the crowd outside. Now especially coming up to Christmas

puntosporting

There are a certain few corner shops on the northside of the town which suffer badly from loitering,despite the best efferts of the owners to clear them off they just remain and cause grief for customers and shop owners alike!
The owners cant be blamed its just the ill behaviour of the kids hanging around it,also some of these shops are barely managing to remain open so hiring security is not even an option,the gardai have let a lot of shop owners down these are the people responsible for looking after both shop owners and customers well being, in my opinion at least!

billy the squid

You bring up a good point there puntosporting. Some smaller local shop owners might be feeling just as intimidated as their customers. The guards do need to get up off their arses in these areas.

But the shops in town like, as mentioned before HMV, they have security, they will jump on you (metephorically speaking) if they think your lifting something from the shop, but if a crime is commited outside the shop, outside the door even, they should realise that it is the shop itself that will lose business, but they do not seem to be bothered by it.

The group on the corner of Cruises Street/O Connell street would affect business from people walking onto cruises street from that direction.

frantic_mel

that poor guy talking on his microphone about god and jesua must get an awful time there.

billy the squid

This poll has now closed. You can find this weeks poll here