COLUMN: We're apathetic about anti-social behaviour

Emerging from the supermarket the other day I was met with a chorus of high-pitched screaming like that of a colony of famished seagulls. It was, in fact, a group of teenage girls, aged, I guess, about 14 and they were screaming their collective heads off and throwing stones at the small birds that gathered intermittently on the pavement to frighten them off.

"Hey girls, go easy," I said, only to be met with a tirade of abuse.

What God's small creatures had ever done to deserve such wanton reaction, or I for that matter, was lost on me. Girls, most likely pupils at the local convent. Aged just 14.

Last week's Meath Chronicle reported Councillor Aisling Dempsey calling for CCTV to be installed on the streets of Trim, following a number of recent incidents of assault and anti-social behaviour – teenage groups creating chaos in the playground and open drug dealing. Cllr Dempsey also called on the public to be more active in reporting such incidents to the Gardai.

Despite recent assurances from Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan that the Gardai were "tacking anti-social behaviour head-on", various reports show that the people of Trim are not alone, that communities around the country have been hit with a worrying increase in thuggery, harassment and vandalism amid a surge in offences linked to anti-social behaviour.

Minister Flanagan's comment that "it was up to everyone, particularly parents, to ensure that children are brought up to be respectful and law abiding" seem to have somewhat fallen on deaf ears.

Figures provided to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) by the Gardai suggest there are 10 different crime categories associated with anti-social behaviour which grew nationwide by 6.7% last year.

The statistics show:

* A 15% jump in harassment and related offences.

* A 13% rise in the category of "other assault offences" in the same period.

* A 4.7% hike in damage to property or the environment.

* A 4.2% increase in "theft from the person" and a 6.1% rise in thefts from shops.

* A 5.3% increase in 'robbery from the person' - an offence that involves intimidation or force.

Meanwhile, Garda figures show the number of anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) issued last year rose by almost 50%, with a total of 1,338 issued, up from 898 the previous year, bringing the figures back to levels seen in 2014 and 2015. Such orders lay down strict terms, conditions and restrictions on a person based on their previous behaviour and are issued by the courts on the application of a Garda superintendent.

To set the record straight, the figures above do not relate to just teens and young people but also adults and those who should know better. And a fair chunk of anti-social behaviour occurs against a backdrop of poverty, deprivation and substance abuse, as witnessed with the open drug dealing in Trim.

Whatever about alcohol and drug addiction, poverty seems like a lame excuse for blatant anti-social behaviour. When I was growing up, we were relatively poor – certainly not rich – but bad behaviour was rare in my neighbourhood or elsewhere among those even less well off than my family.

It seems we are apathetic about anti-social behaviour. The people of Trim, indeed each and every one of us, has a right to walk down their own street, to enjoy their local park, without fear of being abused or attacked. Anti-social behaviour is a scourge. Vandalism, harassment, verbal abuse, open drug abuse and general lawlessness are all unwanted features of daily life for many ordinary, hard-working, decent people. It is an insidious problem, which eats away at the fabric of society. Antisocial behaviour needs to be effectively tackled. Such behaviour has been allowed not only to fester, but to grow.

The vast majority of our young people are good, educated, hard-working and well-behaved. It's the handful that give them a bad name. And regarding those bad apples, it is time perhaps to man up and make the parents of feral children accountable and have them deal with their child's behaviour.

The rise in antisocial behaviour is due, in large measure, to political indifference, combined with the lack of effective remedies and meaningful powers to enable the Gardai to deal appropriately with those responsible for such behaviour.

There are worse things than a good clip around the ear and being confined to barracks with a loss of privileges...