'We must be proactive to protect Cork' from anti-social behaviour

“WE must be proactive rather than reactive to protect the jewel that we have that is our city.”

That was the sentiment from Fine Gael Cork city councillor Deirdre Forde, who is calling for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to be invited to Leeside to address the growing concerns of anti-social behaviour and public order offences in the city.

Ms Forde was speaking following a brawl in the city centre on Monday evening.

An innocent elderly bystander is understood to have been injured as a result of the fight which occurred on Patrick St.

In a statement to The Echo, a Garda spokesperson confirmed that Gardaí were called to a reported public order incident shortly before 8pm on Monday.

“Gardaí arrived at the scene and the suspects were gone on arrival.

“A man in his 80s suffered non-life threatening injuries during this incident and was conveyed to the Mercy University Hospital for treatment,” the spokesperson said.

Following the latest incident, Ms Forde said she intends to ask the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher, the chairman of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee, to invite Mr Harris to Cork city.

“I think by coming to Cork the commissioner would hear the concerns first hand from everyone who wants to see that our city is safe for the people of Cork. 

"People deserve an environment that’s safe and where they can enjoy their surroundings, their family life and they shouldn’t have to put up with all those incidents which begin to frighten everyone and have a kind of cumulative effect.

“People then begin to make decisions to stay away from the city centre which is the exact opposite of what we’re trying to achieve at city council and of course at government level, which is to strengthen and grow Cork over the next 10 years and to make it the absolute finest second city in the country,” she said.