SAOIRSE32

By Marie Louise McCrory West Belfast Correspondent
Irish News
28/06/08

RIOT police are permanently patrolling a west Belfast neighbourhood where a man was murdered just months ago in a bid to disrupt the actions of a paramilitary-inspired gang of young hoods who are terrorising the streets.

The PSNI’s Tactical Support Group (TSG) – who wear the navy boiler suit uniform – are being deployed in the lower Falls area every night in a bid to wipe out anti-social behaviour and disrupt the actions of the Divis Hoods Liberation Army (DHLA).

The tactical team – code-named the Jades – are normally based in Belfast city centre but have been shifted to the lower Falls area as fear of crime hits an all-time high among residents.

According to police the DHLA, made up of 30 males who live in the area, have been involved in “a wide spectrum of criminal activity” ranging from anti-social behaviour and petty crime, to assaults.

The gang’s actions have turned the area into a no-go zone after dark.

In March, father-of-two Frank ‘Bap’ McGreevy was beaten in his Ross Street home and died three days later.

One man has been charged in connection with the 51-year-old’s killing.

The incident prompted outrage in the community and police were widely criticised for a lack of action on the ground.

The Jades have now been deployed in the area permanently to take a robust approach and have been instructed to utilise bail checks and stop-and-search legislation in pursuit of that goal.

Since March 25, 76 people have been arrested in the lower Falls as part of Operation Streetsafe and officers have stop and searched 129 people. Arrests have been made for a number of crimes including outstanding warrants, motoring offences, disorderly behaviour/assaults, drugs, theft, robbery, indecent behaviour and car theft.

Officers have also carried out 891 bail checks and found 79 breaches. Ten people have been arrested for breaching their bail conditions.

Fifteen houses have been searched and alcohol has been seized on 86 occasions.

Chief Superintendent Gary White said it had been “a good operation and it has made good progress”,

“It has made a very tangible difference to the quality of the lives of the people of the lower Falls area,” he said.

“If there is a crime then it will be dealt with professionally.”

Report highlights anti-social behaviour

According to a 12-month report presented to the District Policing Partnership, overall crime in west Belfast has fallen by 17 percent in the past year, though anti-social behaviour has risen by 18 percent.

The number of domestic burglaries rose by 3 percent in the past 12 months from 373 incidents to 384 in the past year.

There have been 91 drug seizures with a total cash value of £138, 925.

These seizures included 2,994 grams of cannabis resin, 600 grams of amphetamine powder, 419 grams of cocaine powder, 18 amphetamine tablets and 124 grams of herbal cannabis.

There were also 79 cannabis plants seized and nine cannabis joints.

During this period, 38 premises were searched for drugs and 56 people were arrested. Of these, 22 people were charged with drugs offences.

During 2007/2008, there were 875 vehicles recovered.

Of these, 478 were stolen vehicles – 155 of which had been stolen in west Belfast.

There were more than 175 notices served on drivers caught using their mobile phones while driving and 92 people were caught speeding by the fixed detection camera on the Springfield Road outside New Barnsley Police Station.