No arrests one week after College Court destruction in Castletroy, Limerick
No one has been arrested a week after young people filmed themselves wrecking a Castletroy home. Limerick Council had previously rejected CCTV requests for the area.
College Court incident: no arrests after week-long investigation in Limerick
No arrests have been made in connection with the destruction of a residential property at College Court in the Castletroy estate, limerickpost.ie reports, a full week after videos of the incident spread widely across social media.
The footage, recorded in the early hours of 7 October, showed young people throwing furniture through windows, tearing down ceilings and walls, and jumping from the roof of the house onto mattresses discarded outside. The six-bedroom property had recently been refurbished and sold as a vacant possession with a guide price of close to half a million euro.
Despite rumours circulating that several people had been detained the following Monday in connection with the burglary and criminal damage investigation, Gardaí confirmed that no arrests have yet been made. A Garda spokesperson described the College Court incident as "of serious nature and not reflective of policing trends in the area," and said additional Garda patrols are in place in the vicinity at various times.
Council had rejected CCTV requests
It has also emerged that earlier requests from the local community for the installation of public CCTV in the area were turned down by Limerick City and County Council. The Council acknowledged that such requests were "considered as part of engagement" with residents, but said "the area did not meet the criteria for the provision of a public CCTV scheme."
"Any deployment of public CCTV must be evidence-led, properly funded, and capable of meeting the statutory, policing, governance and data protection requirements that apply," the Council stated.
A local landlord, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the behaviour at College Court as "normalised lawlessness" and called on authorities to introduce deterrents including extra Garda patrols and CCTV. The landlord said cameras were necessary because "anti-social behaviour is so widespread" in the area.
The Council said it has engaged with all local stakeholders, including elected councillors, "to address concerns that arise in communities." For years, local landlords and residents have raised issues of anti-social behaviour with the Council, Gardaí, and the University of Limerick, whose campus lies nearby.
University of Limerick responds
The University of Limerick said it was not aware of the identities of those involved in the incident. Deputy President Professor Ann Ledwith said she was "very concerned" about the behaviour displayed, in an email sent to the full UL student population.
"This type of anti-social behaviour not only damages property, but it also damages our reputation and our valued community relationships," Prof Ledwith wrote.
She said all students have a responsibility to abide by the UL Student Code of Conduct and respect the surrounding community. "While the identity of those involved in the incident has yet to be ascertained, let me be very clear – this sort of behaviour is simply unacceptable from any member of our community," she added.
UL said it "regularly facilitates extra Garda patrols" in the area and "strongly promotes responsible behaviour and positive engagement with the community." The university acknowledged that "instances of anti-social behaviour, including property damage, public disorder and other actions that negatively impact residents, are a matter of concern," while noting that "the vast majority of students are respectful and valued members of the community."
Anyone with video footage or witness information is asked to contact Gardaí at Henry Street station on 061 212 400.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)