Calling the guards for minor-but-ongoing anti-social behaviour

Mrs OBumble

In another thread, I was told that we don't need to design public spaces to minimise anti-social behaviour, because "if you don't like behavio{u}r on the streets, dial 999/112."

The example I'd given is the Claddagh residents whose gardens are regularly used as toilets people drinking in the Swamp.

What I'm struggling with his how dialling 999/112 would make a blind bit of difference for something where people won't be caught in the act, or where so many people would be involved that the guards couldn't possible act against all of them.

So I thought it'd ask more widely: have you ever called the guards because people were peeing in your front-door/garden, or similar? Did it help? Do you worry that doing this put your number on a lower-priority list for the guards?

I'm specifically interested in experiences in Galway (responses in Dublin would be different).

Discodog

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In another thread, I was told that we don't need to design public spaces to minimise anti-social behaviour, because "if you don't like behavior on the streets, dial 999/112."

The example I'd given is the Claddagh residents whose gardens are regularly used as toilets people drinking in the Swamp.

What I'm struggling with his how dialling 999/112 would make a blind bit of difference for something where people won't be caught in the act, or where so many people would be involved that the guards couldn't possible act against all of them.

So I thought it'd ask more widely: have you ever called the guards because people were peeing in your front-door/garden, or similar? Did it help? Do you worry that doing this put your number on a lower-priority list for the guards?

I'm specifically interested in experiences in Galway (responses in Dublin would be different).

If the Gardai failed to act then I would make a official complaint to a senior officer & then GSOC. These may seem minor crimes to some but they are deeply upsetting to the victims.

This kind of puts in perspective.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058175840

jk23

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In another thread, I was told that we don't need to design public spaces to minimise anti-social behaviour, because "if you don't like behavior on the streets, dial 999/112."

The example I'd given is the Claddagh residents whose gardens are regularly used as toilets people drinking in the Swamp.

What I'm struggling with his how dialling 999/112 would make a blind bit of difference for something where people won't be caught in the act, or where so many people would be involved that the guards couldn't possible act against all of them.

So I thought it'd ask more widely: have you ever called the guards because people were peeing in your front-door/garden, or similar? Did it help? Do you worry that doing this put your number on a lower-priority list for the guards?

I'm specifically interested in experiences in Galway (responses in Dublin would be different).

I wonder how long it would take for them to call the gardai on you if you went to the toilet on their lawn. That's shocking behaviour, no excuse for it.

I was watching UK caught on camera where they were handing out on the spot fines for people caught urinating outside people's houses and rightly so...

ben.schlomo

Previously lived in three different centre places. Had the door on one regularly peed on and one time we got a two. Didn't see the point ringing the guards, what would they do, come and DNA the stool? It's an unfortunate part of living in the city centre in modern Ireland. A societal issue which should be dealt with by Gardai on patrol handing out on the spot fines.

Deport 'em to Van Diemen's Land, call the Garda, oppose the licences of all the pubs when they come before the courts for renewal, engage with the council for more toilet facilities, water balloons filled with a bright dye or my personal favourite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqsXduDi9Ls

biko

Ringing the Gardai would be futile for people peeing into your garden.
Put a public toilet in the swamp.
It's not just for drinkers but also people at park/match, tourists, etc..
Charge a euro but free is better.

xckjoo

Well don't ring 999/112 for starters. That's the emergency number. Ring the direct number of your local station.

The Community Garda (I think that's what they're called) is probably who you want to talk to. They're generally very responsive and will do what they can. If you've a community group in the area talk to them too. They'll probably already have a relationship with the Community Gardaí. I've had some very good results from this kind of approach before.

But they aren't going to be able to stop or prevent occasional events. If it's continuous problem they'll put on extra patrols and the likes, but if it's once every few weeks I wouldn't think they'll do much. Local politicians are also a good tact for that kind of thing. They'd salivate at the thoughts of protecting vulnerable elderly people from garden pee-ers. Think of the headlines! :pac:

The typical Irish response.

Instead of proactively targeting the issues and minimising them - people will drink there so let's put in extra bins, barriers to prevent someone falling in, and low cost toilets(similar to Amsterdams ones, next to no maintenance) we'll just continue to say it's not allowed, and act accordingly.

The end result being that someone will eventually fall in the water and drown, it gets littered and people urinate around the locality.

_Whimsical_

I don't think anyone would do it for an isolated incident, but where there are masses of people and many are doing it I don't think calling the guards is any harm. It at least to some degree emphasises that it's not ok to do it. That shouldn't need to be done but sometimes seems it is.

I'm reminded of one man I heard on the radio who had a premises in town, fairly sure it was a charity. It had a concealed entrance I think along Dominic Street. Once covid started he ended up with loads of human excrement on his doorway. He assumed it was Spanish arch drinkers and he continued on just washing it every morning. Then the area put up cctv and he noticed the perpetrators were coming out of an apartment block across the road. They obviously didn't fancying waiting in queues for the toilet while at parties and it became "normal" to use this guys doorway. It was on the Keith Finnegan show last summer/autumn.

I'm not sure it would feel "minor" if it was your own doorstep, so I can understand people reaching for any means of public order enforcement at their finger tips.

Stevolende

i know there was an app last year showing open public toilets but I think that may have been UK.
BUt would be really useful if there was some tho9ught applied to where there were open toilets for what should be recognised as a constant demand.
I Think it was really difficult to find an open toilet for the last year, if it isn't still. That doesn't excuse people coming from a party and ****ting in a neighbour's doorway.

Could do with 24hr access to toilets in some places around the city. I think they actually disabled the pay toilets last year didn't they. switch off the coin slots etc.

BUt I would definitely say that any town should recognise what is a constant human process and make some places avaialble to prevent people from wanting to use the streets for it. Well probably going to find taht some individuals woul;dn't use tehm anyway. But isn't it a question of shame about bodily processes that shouldn't be so squeamish that prevents this from being an understood logistic.

I'm glad there are bins up in a lot more places for the last couple of years but not sure taht si preventing litter and I'm not sure they are present in places tehy are needed like the market yet either. Somewhat connected problem while not exactly the same.

Yonce

Don't think it'll make a blind bit of difference calling the gaurds for minor issues.
Hands are tied really

Your Face

I lived in an apartment complex close to Galway City centre.
Plenty of antisocial behaviour in and around my building.
I won't list out what the issues were but it was consistently recurring.
Over the course of my time living there, I rang the landlord, the building security contractor, the building management firm and eventually the guards.
None of them helped in any way.