The Citywest Centre has been described as a "hotspot" for antisocial behavior as more incidents took place last week.
Citywest Shopping Centre where multiple antisocial incidents have taken place. Image: Donal Murphy
Anti-social teen gangs have been launching unprovoked attacks at Citywest Shopping Centre leaving locals and shoppers terrified to go near the shopping district alone.
Marius Brivinskas was the victim of one of the attacks two nights ago while he was going home from the gym at the centre. He was passing by the main entrance of the shopping centre when he noticed a shadow behind him.
He told Dublin Live, that he didn't get the chance to react as a teenager "just jumped on him and hit him in the head from the back" with a metal crutch.
Mr Brivinskas called Gardai shortly after the incident and went on to explain that the teens are well known in the area and that they brazenly stood their ground and only ran away when gardai arrived to the centre.
There had been no previous interaction between Mr Brivinskas and the youths before he was assaulted and he fears random attacks like this will become more common during the long winter nights. "It's always pretty much the same gang," he said, adding "people know them."
There have been other stories about anti-social behaviour in the Citywest Shopping Centre area, with Mr Brivinskas telling Dublin Live that there is "No control whatever, after 5pm. Once it's dark, you need to be fully alert".
"This time it was me. Next time it could be an older person, it could be the person with health problems, or a woman, and it could have ended up in a tragic way," Mr Brivinskas said, adding that the problem is the lack of preventive action. "By the time the garda comes, all of them are running away. So what gardai will do is just make one circle around the shopping area and they'll be gone. Less than 10 minutes later, same group will come back."
Mr Brivinskas said he is annoyed by the lack of measures to stop this issue at the centre, adding that "It looks ridiculous," and "You shouldn't be afraid to go [home] from the gym in the evening."
Another resident who contacted Citywest Life but wished to remain anonymous said they believe these issues are largely due to the "lack of management" and believe that the centre has become a "hotspot" for anti-social behavior as the external avenues appear to be "run-down and dimly lit" they also added that the late night fast food outlets have no security coverage after the centre trading times and that this adds to the "feeling of being unsafe".
The resident who contacted us also believes that the centre needs more security personnel put in place adding that "shops in there are being targeted by shoplifters daily" and "staff don't feel safe leaving at night".
A spokesman for Citywest Shopping Centre told Dublin Live there have been a number of "isolated incidents" near the centre and says they're "Working hard to keep it away from [their customers]," adding that the large green area outside the centre doesn't "always attract the nicest groups".
Local gardai had increased patrols of the area following requests from centre management "but it didn't last" according to the Citywest spokesman.
Local Councillor Louise Dunne also told Dublin Live she is currently organising meetings between residents and gardai about the issue. "I was aware there were some issues and I had to attend some meetings and link in with the guards around that," she said.
"But this week I was contacted in relation to some assaults that happened outside the centre. I also want to tie in with the youth services that are responsible for the area because I think that they have a part to play specifically around a targeted approach."
However she stressed not all youth congregating around the centre were involved in anti-social behaviour and added: "I don't like to stigmatise or generalise."
A garda spokeswoman confirmed to Dublin Live that there is an ongoing investigation into anti-social behaviour in the Citywest Shopping Centre. She added: "Any matters that are reported to An Garda Síochána are fully investigated and once suspects are identified, court proceedings or Youth Diversion proceedings are implemented. There are ongoing Garda patrols in the area and these are continuing."
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