Bottles thrown at police during anti-social incidents in Newtownabbey

Police responded to reports of anti-social behaviour involving crowds of young people in Whiteabbey, Valley Park and Rathcoole on Saturday night.
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The incidents occurred while Newtownabbey Neighbourhood Policing Team was hosting a media facility on the measures being put in place to reduce the problem across the area.

Accompanied by a Newtownabbey Times reporter, patrols made up of PSNI landrovers and squad cars travelled to locations which have experienced anti-social behaviour over recent weeks.

There was a visible police presence in areas including Mallusk, Glengormley, Rathcoole, Ballyclare, Ballyduff, Carnmoney, New Mossley, Whiteabbey and Monkstown, writes Russell Keers.

Rathcoole People's Park. Pic by Google.Rathcoole People's Park. Pic by Google.
Rathcoole People's Park. Pic by Google.

Reports came through at around 7.30pm about a crowd of approximately 50 young people involved in underage drinking and suspected drug use at the People’s Park in Rathcoole.

When police attended in a landrover with a mounted intelligence gathering camera on its roof, a number of teens with their faces covered broke away from the main crowd and threw glass bottles at the vehicle.

Bottles smashed just yards from where a man had walked past with his dog only moments before.

Officers on foot patrol attempted to get details from as many young people in the park as possible, but a large number of the group ran from the scene.

A game of cat and mouse then ensued for the next number of hours in the estate.

Crowds of teens - in breach of Covid-19 guidelines, police noted - also congregated in the Diamond area with officers confiscating alcohol, before other young people hurled verbal abuse at the patrol.

Intoxicated teenage boys, one of whom police say was also found to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis, were transported home to their guardians.

At the same time, another group of officers from the already stretched team was tasked to reports of crowds gathering in the Valley Park area close to the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

While these incidents were ongoing, officers also seized a small amount of suspected cannabis from two females in the Three Mile Water area, responded to reports of a suspected drink driver in Ballyduff and conducted a foot patrol in the Monkstown Wood area.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “We have seen an increase in the number of anti-social incidents being reported across the borough.

“One of the main problems is that people are purchasing alcohol for young people. Many businesses comply with the regulations about asking for identification. We’d encourage all businesses to challenge anyone who looks under 18 and to report any instances when people are attempting to get alcohol for someone under 18.

“The teens are then consuming it, often in secluded areas such as Monkstown Wood and at the rear of Global Point. They are putting themselves at risk as they could be involved in anti-social behaviour or be the victim of anti-social behaviour. They could pass out, choke to death on their vomit or be the victim of a sexual crime.

“We’d encourage residents to report any incidents to 101, or 999 in an emergency.”

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