COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE/FIRHOUSE/BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

MOTION NO. 4

MOTION: Councillor David McManus

That this Area Committee supports a text alert scheme being introduced to report anti social behaviour (and the use of scramblers) by members of the public with SDCC park rangers in public parks.

 

REPORT:

The reporting by members of the public of anti-social behaviour in parks including the use of scramblers is essential to the Council being made aware of such activity and being able to take action to counteract it.  The systems currently in place for members of the public to report such activity are in person to a park ranger or member of public realm staff, through telephone contact on the Council's main telephone line (01-4149000) which is operated outside of normal hours by Call Pageboy, and on-line through the reporting facility on the Council's website.  Members of the public can also report serious matters directly to An Garda Siochana, the issues referred to here are of a serious nature and these inevitably need to be brought to the attention of the Gardai.  Any complaints received are recorded on the Council's customer care system, these are then examined and responded to as necessary.  While the Park Rangers patrol our parks, identify problems of this nature and report back to management on them, they are generally not in a position to take direct action when they observe anti-social behaviour taking place.  The proposal here for the introduction of a text alert scheme for reporting of such issues will be examined taking the issues mentioned above into consideration, and once there is more information regarding the type of system proposed.