Garda plea to parents: Know where your children are



Gardai in Sligo are calling on parents and guardians to know where their children are at all times.

It follows reports of youths gathering in an area of forestry in Strandhill on St Patrick’s Day, with some of them believed to have been drinking.

The issue arose after community gardai from Sligo were alerted to groups of youths gathering in Strandhill.

The youths were not from the locality but were dropped off in the coastal village to meet up.

Gardai say what resulted were groups of youths in the forestry area on the Airport Road, some of whom appeared to have been drinking.

Community gardai have since visited the parents of more than 40 youths and outlined what had occurred.

Some of the parents were shocked but some asked what harm were the youths doing and saying that ‘didn’t we all do it when we were young.’

Gardai say that some parents who were spoken to were in denial, thinking there was no way their child could have been involved.

Gardai say this type of behaviour is not tolerated, and that it was particularly disappointing to see the state of the area, the destruction caused and the litter left behind.

Meanwhile, community gardai have been given assurances that the area of forestry involved will be cleaned up by the young people.

However, gardai say this is a recurring problem, especially on school holidays.

The gardai have asked the local community to report any further such incidents, and have thanked those who alerted them to the issue.



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