Antisocial behaviour involving 'gangs' in one Kildare town highlighted in open letter
There have been numerous reports on social media of male youths causing trouble in the town
Antisocial behaviour involving 'gangs' in one County Kildare town has been highlighted in an open letter.
The open letter, which has circulated on Facebook, follows numerous social media reports of antisocial behaviour involving male juveniles in Newbridge.
According to the author of the letter, they explained that they are the store manager of a business in the town.
They described Newbridge as ‘a vibrant hub’ of Kildare, ‘with so much to offer’.
However, they added that ‘youth gangs have started to tarnish the town, and the word is unfortunately spreading’.
The author continued: “The cost of doing business alone is staggering and difficult to sustain; I would personally be in fear for my job and those of my entire team, if it was not for the larger business we all work for, that can ultimately support the cost of our particular store operating in Newbridge, but is this sustainable in the long term?
‘DISCOMFORT AND CONCERNS’
“As a store manager in the local area, I see the reality every day; I witness the discomfort and concerns on my colleagues’ and customers’ faces after another attack on our place of work.
The author also alleged that the youth gangs ‘are making Newbridge their own’.
“The frustration that we cannot intervene or take further action is intolerable,” they added.
Furthermore, the author voiced their view that the situation needs to be addressed with help from ‘the entire community’.
MORE RESOURCES FOR GARDAÍ
They also said that they ‘have spent countless hours on the phone with An Garda Síochána (AGS)’ and expressed their wish for more resources to be given to local gardaí.
“Why would we continue to allow such a small minority to have such a detrimental impact on our local area when there is a solution readily available?” the author asked.
Concluding the letter, they said: “I hope that by raising this issue further, it will help to establish a collective approach to putting a stop to this growing problem and safeguard all retailers doing business in the Newbridge area.”
The letter can be viewed in full on Facebook.
When asked by the Leinster Leader about the situation in Newbridge, two separate spokespersons for AGS confirmed that gardaí are investigating at least two instances of antisocial behaviour in the town.
The first spokesperson for AGS said: “Gardaí received a report of an incident of theft that occurred at a business premises in Newbridge, County Kildare on Wednesday, June 3 last at approximately 4.40 pm.
“A number of items have been reported as stolen.”
They added that investigations into this matter are ongoing.
The second spokesperson for AGS also said: “Gardaí attended the scene following a report of antisocial behaviour near a domestic residence in Newbridge, County Kildare in the evening of Thursday, June 4 last.”
They added: “Enquiries are ongoing.”