29 January 2004 Edition

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More funding needed to target anti-social crime

At the launch of the Safer Neighbourhoods Project on Tuesday, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said that anti-social crime could not be tackled without support and resources from statutory bodies.

The project has been running in the Poleglass area for nine months and tackles issues such as car theft and drug abuse, among other community issues.

Adams was speaking at the launch of the project in the Sally Gardens Community Centre in Poleglass on Tuesday 27 January, where he called for communities to take the lead in tackling anti-social behaviour.

The MP for West Belfast outlined a number of issues that contribute to anti-social behaviour, such as poverty, lack of opportunities and lack of an acceptable policing service that acts for all the community.

Adams praised local people, particularly the women of Poleglass, for setting up the initiative. The scheme engages with young people through a variety of different projects to encourage them to become actively involved in challenging violence and community tensions affecting their area.

Organisers of the self-funded project say they have dealt with 973 issues, ranging from neighbour disputes to dispersing crowds of drinkers.

Dominic Hyland, for the Safer Neighbour Project, said it was a better way of tackling anti-social behaviour than the new initiative mooted by the NIO, which wants to bring in Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) to tackle low level crime, imposing civil sanctions on offenders. "If we were to receive better funding we would be able to instigate more projects to tackle anti social behaviour," he said.


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