Tipperary garda chief says we need to talk to young people to curb anti-social behaviour

There is “a certain amount of huge frustration with some of the behaviours that are going on,” according to new Nenagh garda chief Supt Ollie Baker in relation to reports of anti-social behaviour in the town.

Local traders recently met the gardaí in relation to the issue, especially among young people hanging around the streets.

However, in  an interview in this week's Tipperary Star, it is clear he is not going to rush to any judgment on the matter, saying the lesson of engagement learned under Covid-19 has a part to play.

During lockdown the gardaí used what was termed the Four Es when dealing with people breaching restrictions – Engage, Educate, Encourage and Enforce.

He also believes anti-social behaviour orders also play their part.

“In some areas within the District they have moved to ASBOs with some success, but it’s not a one-stop solution,” he says.

“Our bread and butter as guards is - and should always remain - to talk to people.”

“If they are young people you want to engage, you want to encourage. Engagement has to be our number one and find common ground with young people and listen to the needs that young people have. They want to be out and about. It’s a healthy pursuit to be out and about in some ways, but not if they are causing disturbance to businesses and business premises around the town,” he says.

Supt Baker says that they also need to engage with business owners as well as with the young people, but there are different elements of engagements – schools, sports and social clubs and Tipperary County Council’s Comhairle na nÓg.

“We can play an active role in involving ourselves with that. There are loads of things out there for kids to do but maybe the kids don’t know it,” he says, adding that he was “lucky someone put an arm over my shoulder and said come on down to the pitch”, though he does admit he was going to the pitch anyway.

He points out that there are very healthy GAA, rugby and soccer clubs in the town.

“All those facilities are there. It’s only just a matter of chanelling the interests of young people to educate them ultimately that their behaviour is not tolerable and is only going to lead them down the path that isn’t going to be conducive to their future prospects in life and society.

“That all comes from the initial engagement and we have to get out and engage but I would encourage talking to young people and to find out what they are about. The biggest role is to find out who these kids are and maybe redirect them and their energies in some way. I would say engagement is everything for us. And that goes for bigger societal problems as well,” he says.

Read the full interview with Supt Ollie Baker in this week's Tipperary Star.