Escalating gang feud in Ballymun to blame for 11 year old firing handgun: can increase in community policing help?
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What incident in Ballymun involves an 11-year-old and a firearm?
First this morning, Gardaí are continuing to investigate an incident in Ballymun in Dublin where an 11-year-old child reportedly found and discharged a firearm that had been discarded in a bush during a Garda pursuit. Nobody was injured, but the incident has highlighted an escalating gang feud among drug dealers in the area. It was the second loaded gun to be found in Ballymun within a three-day period after Gardaí found a handgun hidden in a bush near a playground on Sunday. The incident has raised questions about community policing in this area and across the country. I'm joined in studio by Barry Ward, Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire, and on the line by Rory Hearn, Social Democrat TD for Dublin North West, which of course includes Ballymun.
So, Rory, I might come to you first as the local TD. Your claim is that this incident is the culmination of decades of crime and intimidation being left unchallenged in the community.
Yeah, absolutely, David. And just to say, you know, the community of Ballymun is really upset, shocked and just living in fear. You know, it's truly unacceptable that a child, an 11-year-old child, is exposed to such risk. And it is, just everyone, it's so fortunate that this could have been absolutely tragic. And it has to mark a watershed in terms of both the policing in Ballymun, the issues of drug gangs, community safety,
How does the escalating gang feud impact the Ballymun community?
And this has been highlighted for years. The Montague report, which my colleague Róisín Shortall and others had highlighted five years ago, pointed out the need for significant increase in Garda presence in Ballymun and also investment in drug prevention, in community prevention, in youth services. And I just I can't like this would not be tolerated in wealthier parts of Dublin, in Fox Rock and places like that. A child been exposed in this way. And I raised this in the Dáil two weeks ago directly that open drug dealing was taking place outside primary schools. Children were having to walk past it in Ballymun. And I asked the minister for justice directly. How is this acceptable?
Yeah. But I mean, if it's a question of Garda numbers, I mean, the people carrying the gun were actually being pursued by Gardaí at the time.
But the question is, what leads to that incident? And the Montagu report and the latest figures show that the level of policing in Dublin North is significantly below the national average and is actually below the wider Dublin area. And the community has been calling and I've been calling for increased visibility of Gardaí Because what that does then is people can't operate, the drug gangs can't operate in broad daylight, which they are doing right now. So you wouldn't have this situation where people are walking around with guns that can then be dropped wherever it is and a child or someone else picks it up This level of gang intimidation going on has been going on for a number of years. It's been escalating.
What are the implications of community policing in Ballymun?
I've been contacted by families in recent times whose windows have been smashed in. These are people not involved. We've raised it with the guards. We've raised it with the minister. This has been building. And unfortunately, the question is, how bad is it going to get before we see a serious intervention?
OK, Barry Ward, I want to bring you in here. I mean, anybody is going to be shocked by this. An 11-year-old child picking up a discarded loaded gun.
Yeah, absolutely. And I'll agree with Rory on that. It's not acceptable. It is shocking. I can't imagine what the local community are feeling.
What historical factors contribute to crime in Ballymun?
And we are incredibly lucky that when the gun was discharged that nobody was injured. But I will disagree with Rory in two things. First of all, it's not in any way tolerated. It's not because it's in one particular area that it's tolerated. It's not tolerated at all. Drug dealing?
Open drug dealing?
Well, no, yes, absolutely. If the guards are aware of something, I would expect them to act on it. And it's not the case that drug dealing, open drug dealing, is restricted to any one particular area. It exists across the country.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What incident in Ballymun involves an 11-year-old and a firearm?
0:00–1:28
2
How does the escalating gang feud impact the Ballymun community?
1:28–2:59
3
What are the implications of community policing in Ballymun?
2:59–3:28
4
What historical factors contribute to crime in Ballymun?
3:28–6:37
5
What specific actions are being called for to improve safety?
6:37–8:20
6
How does drug dealing affect children in Ballymun?
8:20–12:54
7
What challenges do Gardaí face in addressing gang activity?
12:54–14:29