Warning on antisocial behaviour

Following a proactive patrol in the Central Craigavon area last week a 20-year-old male was reported for disorderly behaviour and another 20-year-old male reported to the council for consuming alcohol in a public place.

A quantity of alcohol was also seized.

Police want everyone to be able to enjoy the summer months safely, however, everyone must be aware of their own actions and how they impact on the rest of the community.

Proactive police patrols will continue over the coming months and officers will take robust action against anyone involved in anti-social or disorderly behaviour.

A spokesman said: "Quite often our dedicated neighbourhood officers find that instances of anti social behaviour and youths causing annoyance are as a result of alcohol. Irresponsible drinking can lead to people acting in ways they would never consider when sober, and it is the resulting actions that can have a considerable impact on the quality of life of people living in the area.

"Young people who become involved in underage drinking and anti-social behaviour should be aware that officers will speak to them and their details will be passed to the Youth Diversion Officer.

If young people continue to come to the attention of police because of nuisance behaviour then we will not hesitate to move toward Acceptable Behavioural Contacts and ASBOs.

"We would also like to remind people of their responsibilities when it comes to the purchase and consumption of alcohol itself. Police, along with the local council, take a strong approach to enforcing drinking laws and the message to young people who drink on our streets and to those who may be buying the alcohol for them, is that it is not acceptable and won’t be tolerated.

"We all bear a responsibility to work together and make this community a safer place in which to live. Parents have their part to play and are asked to help by taking responsibility for their teenage children and exercising their parental influence in order to help us put a stop to irresponsible drinking and anti-social behaviour. "People are encouraged to ring police - at the time to report any incidents - in order to tackle this problem effectively.”

The spokesman concluded: "We cannot stress enough how important public information is to us."

Craigavon Neighbourhood Policing Team can be contacted on 0845 600 8000.