“Certainly, working with the parents would be key to all of this.”
A NI council is to crack down on the illegal use of scramblers due to public safety fears and the sinister use of youths for “drug runs” in the district.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s active and healthy committee this week approved a strategy to tackle the “scourge” of off-roaders, including E-scooters and quad bikes.
New joint patrols of PSNI officers and community volunteers could look to confiscate the vehicles in order to prevent a further fatal tragedy such as that of Dublin teenager Grace Lynch earlier this year.
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Bringing forward the motion, Newry Sinn Féin councillor Aidan Mathers said: “This council will actively engage with policy and the community to enforce this policy.
“It calls on the council to develop and enforce an implementation plan in collaboration with the PSNI and local stakeholders.
“This includes regular joint patrols in known hotspot areas and clear reporting pathways for residents to raise concerns.
“He added: “There is a very real and growing concern across our district.
“We are all aware of the widespread anxiety caused by illegal and dangerous use of scramblers and other off-road vehicles.
“They are causing fear and intimidation and people are afraid to speak out.
“There is a very real risk to public safety, which we see throughout Ireland and recently in Dublin with Grace Lynch, who lost her life after being hit by a scrambler.
“I’ve witnessed the driver of a scrambler in Newry speeding without a helmet and, more alarming, a passenger no older than 12 with no safety gear on.
“The potential of a real tragedy doesn’t bear thinking about.
“As we head into the summer months this issue is only going to increase, so we need to tackle it now. These vehicles should be confiscated when possible.”
Grace Lynch, 16, died in January after being hit in Finglas, Co Dublin, with her family campaigning for stronger laws in her name.
In March, Grace’s Law came into effect to ban scramblers from all public spaces in the Republic of Ireland.
In Northern Ireland, scramblers are mostly illegal on public roads and spaces, but are not subject to a blanket ban.
Mournes Alliance councillor Jill Truesdale said:”I do think we are playing catch-up with this.
“I was talking to the police as we have scramblers being used to do drug runs, it is young adults, it is not kids.
“But the problem the police have is that they can’t run the risk of chasing the person in case it is a child and there ends up being an accident.
“And nine times out of 10 they have to give back the vehicle and cannot confiscate them, which is very frustrating.
“We know the Justice Minister ( Naomi Long – Alliance) is currently working on closing legislative gaps and strengthening powers.
“We all need to work with the police, but maybe there is something higher up we can do about how these vehicles are getting into Northern Ireland, they are an absolute scourge.”
Rowallane DUP councillor Jonathan Jackson added: “We do have to focus on the age of a lot of these kids involved in this activity.
“And we need to look at how we can educate some of the parents of these people and make them realise what they are doing is obviously breaking the law.”
Newry SDLP councillo r Doire Finn said: “From speaking to the PSNI, this is a problem where some of the parents are purchasing these vehicles for their children who are using them.
“How are we going to communicate with these parents?”
A council officer responded: “We are aware that a lot of these scooters are being bought and there is not a full understanding of where they can or can’t be used.
“We will liaise with our marketing department on a campaign to target all of the areas on education and awareness.
“Certainly, working with the parents would be key to all of this.”
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