Number of actions agreed on to address anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking in Derry

A Multi-Agency group have met at the Council offices in Derry to discuss on-going concerns and issues with anti-social behaviour caused by underage drinking across the City and District.
In particular, local residents living in close proximity to St Columb’s Park have been concerned following reports of large numbers of young people gathering and consuming alcohol during periods of good weather.
The meeting was called following a number of incidents of antisocial behaviour in a number of areas over the last few weeks in an effort to offer reassurance to the public with regard to safety in public areas and parks across the City and District.
The meeting, which was attended by representatives from a number of agencies including the PSNI, Council and CCI, agreed to take forward a number of actions in an effort to address the problem.
They included an increased proactive partnership approach to dealing with the issues raised including the early identification of incidents and early intervention, increased security and monitoring in problem areas, ongoing engagement with schools and the youth sector to raise awareness of the problem and proactive communication to encourage responsible behaviour in young people.
It was also agreed that there was a need for increased and targeted enforcement to seize alcohol from under 18’s and more engagement with off licences to help address the issue.