‘I'm petrified some child is going to be killed': PSNI spends more than £500k on policing Broadway anti-social behaviour

Belfast Telegraph

18 hours ago

The force recorded 730 incidents and spent 9,407 hours dealing with 'serious and significant' issues in the Broadway area which has historically been the site of unrest and saw a flare up of trouble over the past 18 months.
Belfast Lord Mayor has warned that a 'child is going to get killed' after the PSNI revealed the financial cost of tackling crime in a video posted on social media.
Anti-social behaviour in Broadway area of Belfast continues to be an issue
The clip shared on Facebook highlights the impact a criminal record can have on individuals engaging in behaviour that takes up police resources and harms the community.
It states that the total bill for the past year is £587,749 with additional costs for damaged property.
DUP Lord Mayor of Belfast, Tracy Kelly, has expressed concerns about an uptick in violence.
'There's been kids injured up there that came from the local areas,' she told the Belfast Telegraph.
'They're from different parts of Belfast and I am absolutely petrified that some child is going to be killed on that roundabout.
'We've had a child hit with a brick, you've had a child knocked down, you've had other kids beaten up, it's only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured. Or a driver knocks someone down or they crash because stones are being thrown.'
A 15-year-old girl was hospitalised following a brick attack in April and was the second youth to be injured in the area that week.
In January, seven people were arrested for orchestrating overnight trouble after a group of men were reported to have been throwing flares and masonry.
During riotous behaviour last July, police tackled a group of up to 50 young people hurling paint and petrol bombs at officers and vehicles in the area.
One 14-year-old arrested in connection with the disorder was subsequently charged with rioting and possession of an offensive weapon.
Violence also arose during the Irish Cup final at Windsor Park last month which spilled into the Broadway area and saw missiles and several bins set alight.
Local community groups and charity organisations have been trying to tackle the root causes of crime in the area.
Zara Gregg from Greater Village Regeneration Trust features in the PSNI video.
'Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own community," she said.
'When people engage in anti-social or criminal behaviour, they not only harm their community, but themselves and others.'
Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty said he has witnessed the consequences of sectarian violence first hand at the interface of unionist and nationalist parts of the city.
The SDLP representative pointed to poverty and a lack of action from the Executive as the reason for the increase in criminal activity.
'I've been in that area. There's been some nights I've been down three, four, five nights a week. People have simply had enough,' he said.
'You know, people want to live in peace. They've lived for years where they've had to live through the sectarian violence, and now they're seeing another generation of young people here. And that cycle of sectarian violence continues to exist sadly, even in 2025.
'Enforcement alone won't solve this. We need to urge an investment in, for example, year-round youth services, mental health support, across community engagement to tackle the root causes of that violence and interfaces like Broadway.
'But most definitely, what we need to see is a greater kind of focus on prevention, not just a response.'