by beano

on 23 Jun 2005 at 15:11. Categories: Northern Ireland, PSNI

(Did you see what I did there? )

UNHAPPY with the increasing levels of anti-social behaviour in Belfast, traders have clubbed together to pay for 2 extra police officers to patrol the streets around the city centre.

Obviously the traders think that these measures will help attract people to the city centre and therefore result in increased sales. Similar initiatives have been used on the mainland.

A man who owns 2 chemists in the city-centre said that things in Belfast had improved in recent years but more could be done.

Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson said the extra police would help make Belfast city centre safer. "The police will be dedicated to tackling anti-social behaviour in Belfast and that partnership with the Chamber of Commerce means they will be focusing entirely on the city centre, which I think is a positive thing."

So who knows, with any luck the glue-sniffers at the back of Tesco might even get lifted!

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Comment from: paul connor [Visitor]

are ther still glue sniffers round there? i remember them outside the arts college as well... now those wee guys no doubt need keeping in line , but i've seen to many times in England genuinely vulnerable homeless people simply being 'moved along' - getting pushed out of city centres - simply so we dont have to step over them. Rather than having even the pretense of helping them back into the community these measure's served to combat the symptons
of homelessness rather than the cause. there is something heartless in seeing a 'community servant' move a rancid beggar on, simply to spare you an unpleasant spectacle, without having to give any thought as to where he could actually go.

23 Jun 2005 @ 15:56

Comment from: beano [Member]

· http://www.everythingulster.com

I have to agree with that actually. You can't walk past them and not feel pity and moving them on does seem a bit heartless. If this ends up happening it'll definitely indicate some further thought required!

23 Jun 2005 @ 15:59

Comment from: David N [Visitor] · http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ulsternation

Could they start by sorting out the 'charity muggers' who try and accost me everytime I'm in Belfast.

I'm happy to drop my loose change into a collecting tin shaken in front of me by someone volunteering their time for charity.

But people being paid to harrass me into signing a direct debit to charity just puts me off the whole idea of giving.

Rant over

24 Jun 2005 @ 01:17

Comment from: beano [Member]

· http://www.everythingulster.com

Good point, I've heard some stories about people being seriously harrassed by these guys. To be honest though I've never had any bother from them once I told them I'm not interested - although I guess they figure they're more likely to get hit by a 6'3" bloke than a 5'3" woman?

24 Jun 2005 @ 09:35

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