What can be done with a juvenile who is causing havov in the neighbourghood?

Freiheit

A lad in the neighbourhood is causing a lot of problems for a lot of people. My windows were broken wednesday night, many others have over the past few months suffered this also. Other incidents include entering back-yards,moving, stealing and dumping items.

Between my mother's house and mine we have experienced 4 broken windows, an attempted window breakage ( the double glaze held firm) and other cases of interference. It's apparently quite widespread, between this lad and a few associates.

He is subject to complaints, but is still roaming the roads in the same feral manner.

What can the law do? what can communities do?

Danke
F

Colonel_McCoy

Call the Gardai asap if you have not already

Taltos

Have you approached the gardai or your local councillor?
If he is < 16 - have you contacted social services as if he is roaming the streets he may be seeking to escape something at home and would be better off in care.

In the meantime.
Record every incident in a notebook.
See if you can get some cameras also fitted to get direct evidence it is him.

But basically I would be constantly - and I mean constantly onto the the authorities - not just you - but all of the neighbours - kick up such a stink that they have to do something - especially if a local paper is brought into their lack of action to tackle this thug.

Freiheit

Thanks...I have contacted they Gardai, and while they were sympathetic they were somewhat vague as to what they can do. I know they've been in contact with the individual in question on numerous occasions but yet he roams freely. Likewise a local Councillor, sympathetic and said he'd speak to the Gardai,but nobody appears to have a plan as to how to deal with it.

I got the impression that people are reluctant to testify (fearing reprisal possibly?)and as not many people have cctv there is probably a lack of direct evidence. I'll be installing CCTV soon (which the said individual tore down from a nearby shop, throwing a jacket over the camera) and if further incidents are recorded I will testify.......

Really at a loss as to what more I can do...contact TD's? Local radio or newspapers?.....

I slept less well last night...heard the sound of breaking windows in my ears...

Thanks again to all who responded.

This isn't a Gangland case I stress, just a local delinquent and a few associates.

Taltos

Just hassle everyone.

And I really mean hassle - letters, phone calls, personal appearances...

Keep a record of all incidents.
Keep a record of all requests for help you send.

Contact a local paper - see if they are willing to do a piece about deteriorating society and the the lack of resources in place to help lawful tax paying members...

Don't let one week go by without contacting every name you have - build that personal relationship - put a face to your name - so when they call they know who you are and come to trust you - and thus come to feel responsible...

thefeatheredcat

If approaching the guards and tds doesn't work on an individual basis, then the best thing to do is go to them collectively as a concerned group.

One person with a complaint of anti-social behaviour won't move a cat from a bird, but a group of people standing together for the same cause will.

It's then a little bit harder for the words to fall on deaf ears and tied hands.

Get the people effected together, prepare and flesh out what's happened and go together (literally a group of ye together) to the guards and the td.

If you get no joy from them, get the message of the behaviour out in the local media together as there's a few angles they can take - the anti-social aspect, the aspect that a juvenile without supervision is doing this, a community group is being targeted and concerned for this man and their own welfare, effect of recession, drugs etc, and so on.

Nevertheless, standing together on this will be a benefit to ye all, not just to look out for one another and sympathise with eachother, but so that you can't be individually targeted/intimidated for reporting this guy and living in fear of what he might do should he be able to know that it was a specific individual.

A group of people together demanding something be done is far harder to ignore than one person standing at the authorities desk demanding something be done.

Get yourselves organised and prepared, dig your heels in and hassle every one of these authorities, don't let them wash their hands off it - you're been failed by those who are supposed to be there to protect you, but worse is this young man has been failed from every aspect. Who has his concerns and who's going to listen to him? You need to fight for his rights too, that he be helped because behaviour like that is a siren something is wrong.

CiaranMT

Give him a boot up the hole

But in all seriousness, I'd echo the sentiments above RE keeping onto the Guards about it, and keeping a log of any incidents.

skooterblue

We had this in our local community. Heating oil being leaked rubbish bins on fire.
These were 3rd generation scumbags these were kids of pillars of the community. The guards were backwards about doing anything about it. There was a public meeting and a independent arbitrator was called in. He held a meeting and everyone got their say. There were some very very angry GAA men and there was talk vigilantism. this was quashed. The money was paid back. The guards only acted when the cop shop windows were broken.

Get politicians involved, do not get vigilantes involved as you will find it hard to remove them after wards and they will end up franchising the local drug trade to their own sons and nephews. Power to the people