Neighbourhood Watch Merged Thread

Daeltaja

In the closing stages of buying a house in Castlefield Hall but this thread doesn't instill me with confidence...

I grew up in Carpenterstown (not lived in the area for a decade mind) and the misses is from the country but the seeming escalation in crime and anti-social behaviour in is putting doubt in our minds.

Is it really as bad as it seems?

Zaph

Crime, and more particularly anti-social behaviour are issues pretty much everywhere these days, and unfortunately D15 is no different. That said, I don't believe that it's any worse than other parts of Dublin. I've lived here for 15 years (relatively close to Castlefield Hall) and I've never had a single reason to worry about crime or my own personal safety in that time. Sure the Garda helicopter flies over occasionally, but it also flies over my parents house in a respectable part of south Dublin occasionally as well.

Nijmegen

Daeltaja wrote: »

In the closing stages of buying a house in Castlefield Hall but this thread doesn't instill me with confidence...

I grew up in Carpenterstown (not lived in the area for a decade mind) and the misses is from the country but the seeming escalation in crime and anti-social behaviour in is putting doubt in our minds.

Is it really as bad as it seems?

It's actually difficult to say for a new estate. D15 is vast and has pockets of badness that are five minutes walk away from perfectly nice spots. So, opposite Castlefield Hall you have Mount Symon; which is a lot of young families and no real trouble (Google the area + Gardai - in this case there was a minor drug dealer arrested and some teachers who got into a pub crawl brawl, hardly petrol in the window stuff). Turn left and walk down to the Clonsilla road and there's plenty of nice settled estates. Turn right and walk across the Ongar distribution road and you're into Hartstown/Huntstown and a different setup, but again some roads/estates are fine and some attract the scaldies (I used to live in at the back of the Eurospar and it was a mixed bag).

The big unknown a lot of people focus on in a new estate is how much social housing is going in or if the developer is putting it somewhere else / allocating it elsewhere. And the impact of it if it is in is also unknown.

What I would remark is that buying there, within a very short walk of Clonsilla train station, you'll likely keep the value of your home if you end up not liking it.

Daeltaja

Thanks for the insights folk. It's a similar situation in Leopardstown where I'm renting at the moment. Right on the Luas line, surrounded by lovely estates and greenery, but 5 minutes down the road and you're in Ballyogan.

We'll just invest in some proper home security and make friends with the neighbours!

beauf

I think a lot of minor crime gets more media coverage these days you are more aware of it. And there are threads like this one...

But city wide, and perhaps country wide, it feels like crime is increasing everywhere.
My own theory is that is used to be more localised, but perhaps due to increasing wealth and mobility of those involved in crime,
that general crime is more distributed than it used to be. You have urban gangs on crime spree in rural areas things like that. Using the Luas etc.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/crime-rate-increases-significantly-over-past-year-1.3443096
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/sharp-rise-in-violent-crimes-since-last-year-913281.html

Then of course there is well known issue (scandals?) of crime stats being miss reported.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/health-warning-on-garda-stats-unlikely-to-be-lifted-before-2022-cso-1.3857341


So parts of D15 are rough enough, and some parts are full of millionaires. But remember D15 is the roughly size of Waterford, Galway or Limerick.

Nijmegen

Daeltaja wrote: »

Thanks for the insights folk. It's a similar situation in Leopardstown where I'm renting at the moment. Right on the Luas line, surrounded by lovely estates and greenery, but 5 minutes down the road and you're in Ballyogan.

We'll just invest in some proper home security and make friends with the neighbours!

I'm up in Hollywoodrath. So far 1 break in, and they took nothing - owners were away, they literally smashed in the window (modern doors and windows it's the only route in unless you've got acres of time) set the alarm off and were gone. If you have some cameras plus a monitored alarm and a decent neighborhood whatsapp group you'll be grand. Video going round recently of a house getting done, it had no alarm despite cameras apparently.

Jebus Diced

Homeowner holds off 'thugs' while at knifepoint...
https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/heroic-homeowner-holds-thugs-knifepoint-16416609

septictank

Some here might remember the 3 kids going door to door looking for sponsership for walks and the like. Well they are back, same ones only a few years older, same old photocopy of a card with no info on it. Used to be the mother following them in a car, now it's the dad.
Don't think they are scoping houses , just out to get the cash.

Jaster Rogue

septictank wrote: »

Some here might remember the 3 kids going door to door looking for sponsership for walks and the like. Well they are back, same ones only a few years older, same old photocopy of a card with no info on it. Used to be the mother following them in a car, now it's the dad.
Don't think they are scoping houses , just out to get the cash.

What part of D15?

Gio2

Jaster Rogue wrote: »

What part of D15?

They were around Waterville on monday

septictank

Jaster Rogue wrote: »

What part of D15?

Laurel, lodge, and down towards the village.

Used to have a St Margarets school on the card, but it's just a green plain one now.

The girl is 12-14 nowI'd say, parents just pushing them out begging, prenty of names on the card.

punisher5112

septictank wrote: »

Laurel, lodge, and down towards the village.

Used to have a St Margarets school on the card, but it's just a green plain one now.

The girl is 12-14 nowI'd say, parents just pushing them out begging, prenty of names on the card.

Get a reg and report them.....

ongarboy

Daeltaja wrote: »

In the closing stages of buying a house in Castlefield Hall but this thread doesn't instill me with confidence...

I grew up in Carpenterstown (not lived in the area for a decade mind) and the misses is from the country but the seeming escalation in crime and anti-social behaviour in is putting doubt in our minds.

Is it really as bad as it seems?

Realistically, a neighbourhood watch forum is only going to discuss crimes or dodgy sightings the same way the court pages of a local newspaper will only report all the offences committed/prosecuted in an area and not any of the positive things going on. Such reportings will not be a statement or reflection of the general state and well being of an area.

As someone said earlier, social media tends to amplify negative incidents and make them seem more widespread. There will and always has been occasional crime in every post code in the country.

I would say the location of Castlefield Hall is in a perfectly safe neighbourhood surrounded on all sides by more established and highly reputable residential estates. Most homes going in any or all of these neighbourhoods would be 300K to 400K (or more) and would require one or two working adults to afford or make mortgage repayments...suggesting they have little time to be involved in dodgy dealings/petty crime/anti social behaviour. Criminals from outside the area would equally target homes in Castleknock, Foxrock, Dalkey so this area is as safe (or as vulnerable) as any other typically more upmarket address.

Jacinta086

I witnessed a gang of 4 youths steal a bike from Coolmine train station today at 15.25.

I was stuck the other side of the level crossing with them for some time so i got a good look at all of them. I had a feeling they were up to no good so I kept an eye when i seen them go towards the bike dock.

They were struggling to break the lock so i started shouting at them to say i was calling the guards but they just got more aggressive with it and managed to break it free. I'm so sad to think of someone coming home from work this evening to find their bike is gone, i used to cycle to work every day and i know how attached you can get to your bike.

These were nothing but kids; 14 or 15 maybe.
I did ring the guards straight away.
I know they have CCTV on that level crossing so if the guards want to catch them they certainly can, but I've a feeling this isn't their first rodeo and nothing will happen.

Not sure if i even should have gotten involved as i had my 4 month old in the buggy beside me. So saddening to see this going on on your door step and nothing being done about it

beauf

I think you'd be crazy to leave a bike there. You only see mangled bikes attached to the racks.

There's lockers there if you really need to leave a bike there.

daymobrew

Jacinta086 wrote: »

These were nothing but kids; 14 or 15 maybe.
I did ring the guards straight away.
I know they have CCTV on that level crossing so if the guards want to catch them they certainly can, but I've a feeling this isn't their first rodeo and nothing will happen.

"if the guards want to catch them" - about a month ago I saw a larger group trying to break the cable lock on a bike. I approached them and they hid their faces because my helmet camera was on. They didn't stop. I rang the station twice and no answer. Rang 999. Then rang Community Gardai and gave details. I offered the helmet camera footage but I was never contacted by them.

If your only mode of transport is a bike it's worth way more than the monetary value.

beauf

About 80% of the bikes I see in the area are not locked and most of the one that are are locked very poorly. They won't stop unless people make it harder.

Jacinta086

I just hate the attitude of "well people shouldnt park their bikes there", i just wish we lived in a place that you could leave your bike somewhere without it being lifted in a nano second, like other places in Europe.

The guard didn't take my number, just got the feeling like they didn't care. I know some of the recent robbery's in Riverwood were youths so could be the same guys.

beauf

You don't like the attitude of someone giving sensible realistic advice???

Use the lockers not the rack. If people leave a expensive bike there not locked or locked with a toy lock they are simply encouragingly these thefts.

Would you lock an iPhone to the bike rack with a cheap lock. Or leave it outside a shop unlocked? That's what people are doing.

I don't know where in Europe you could leave a bike and it not get stolen. Even in Holland there is bike theft.

https://www.bike-eu.com/sales-trends/nieuws/2013/02/bike-theft-in-holland-becomes-export-business-1019235?vakmedianet-approve-cookies=1&_ga=2.220072336.888072054.1561359201-1170131837.1561359201

BohsCeltic

I was walking my 2 nephews the other day over at IT Blanchardstown. Twin buggy, only 9 months old and 3 and a half.
A group of young travellers were there and had bb guns firing pellets at people.

No fear in them at all, They were going to shoot at me and my Nephews untill they copped on that they didn't know i had something. A 40kg dog and they crapped themselves when they seen her charging after i called her. Ha Ha.
Karma.

Praetorian22

Reported this morning, https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/two-men-arrested-after-handguns-and-ammunition-seized-in-west-dublin-932596.html

Collecting the other half yesterday evening took the clonsilla backroads, over the bridge towards Lucan 6.20pm no issue. On the way back road closed Armed Garda (jeep) blockade directly outside Luttrelstown castle at the bend coming from Westmanstown. Presumed it was a crash, due to the heavy rain so detoured down by strawberry beds, other cars forced to do the same.

No crash then but an interception! It's like the wild west out there

Veloce

Attempted theft of tools from a Van parked in Hansfield Wood this morning at 09:05am.

Gold coloured Citroen C4 - 05 LH reg plate on it.

BohsCeltic

Praetorian22 wrote: »

Reported this morning, https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/two-men-arrested-after-handguns-and-ammunition-seized-in-west-dublin-932596.html

They are part of the corduff gang. Were in a stolen car too, obviously going to whack someone.

On another note i was walking back from the shop yesterday. A large group of teenagers hanging about making gang signs, They all got on the 38 bus then heading to tyrrelstown.

Gaspode

What's a gang sign? Like a big placard saying 'We're in a gang!"?

beauf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_signal

this

Gaspode

So they were waiting on a bus and making what you think were gang signals. How do you know what a gang signal looks like, surely only the gang members would recognise the signals? Non-story really, just perpetuating the notion that all teenagers are criminals or up to no good.

not yet

Gaspode wrote: »

So they were waiting on a bus and making what you think were gang signals. How do you know what a gang signal looks like, surely only the gang members would recognise the signals? Non-story really, just perpetuating the notion that all teenagers are criminals or up to no good.

He's not 'perpetuating' anything, what he is doing is simply relaying something he has seen.

You seem to be the one here with the agenda.

BohsCeltic

Gaspode wrote: »

So they were waiting on a bus and making what you think were gang signals. How do you know what a gang signal looks like, surely only the gang members would recognise the signals? Non-story really, just perpetuating the notion that all teenagers are criminals or up to no good.

Because they were hardly speaking sign language. Because i know some sign language. The were all of african decent.

punisher5112

Gaspode wrote: »

So they were waiting on a bus and making what you think were gang signals. How do you know what a gang signal looks like, surely only the gang members would recognise the signals? Non-story really, just perpetuating the notion that all teenagers are criminals or up to no good.

It's nothing to take out of context....

Just because others don't see it doesn't make it any less true.....

I've seen these big gangs myself and they go around in huge number s

Larbre34

Gangland style shooting in Castlecurragh Heath this afternoon, car found burned out somewhere in Huntstown not long after. A man reported to be seriously injured as a result, no names or suspected affiliations mentioned in the media as yet.

Just another beautiful day in the 'wicka wicka wild wild west' .