15/11/2007
Alert On Belfast Assaults
On average, there are 48 assaults reported to police in south and central Belfast every week.
There were more than 2,500 assaults in the city centre and south over the past year, according to figures released by the PSNI - an average of 48 assaults a week.
The highest monthly figure was for December last year, when 290 people were assaulted in the south of the city.
Alerting people to this growing problem, District Policing Partnership member Pat McCarthy, this is a worrying trend.
Mr McCarthy, a former SDLP Belfast lord mayor, said the high level of assaults was partly due to the number of bars in the area.
"South Belfast covers the city centre, which has the biggest concentration of entertainment spots in the city and this all contributes to the high number of assaults," he said.
"There should be more CCTV to pick up these incidents and bring prosecutions.
"As lord mayor, I lobbied hard for more CCTV in the city centre and I think that would be a big step forward in catching offenders."
The 2,545 assaults recorded by police over the past 12 months vary in seriousness and include wounding with intent, grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm.
Mr McCarthy, chair of the DPP's South Belfast sub-group, said alcohol played a major part in many assaults: "If you are a parent with a son or a daughter going out for the night, it is very worrying.
"You can be glassed or hit over the head for no reason at all - just for looking at someone the wrong way," he said.
(BMcC)
There were more than 2,500 assaults in the city centre and south over the past year, according to figures released by the PSNI - an average of 48 assaults a week.
The highest monthly figure was for December last year, when 290 people were assaulted in the south of the city.
Alerting people to this growing problem, District Policing Partnership member Pat McCarthy, this is a worrying trend.
Mr McCarthy, a former SDLP Belfast lord mayor, said the high level of assaults was partly due to the number of bars in the area.
"South Belfast covers the city centre, which has the biggest concentration of entertainment spots in the city and this all contributes to the high number of assaults," he said.
"There should be more CCTV to pick up these incidents and bring prosecutions.
"As lord mayor, I lobbied hard for more CCTV in the city centre and I think that would be a big step forward in catching offenders."
The 2,545 assaults recorded by police over the past 12 months vary in seriousness and include wounding with intent, grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm.
Mr McCarthy, chair of the DPP's South Belfast sub-group, said alcohol played a major part in many assaults: "If you are a parent with a son or a daughter going out for the night, it is very worrying.
"You can be glassed or hit over the head for no reason at all - just for looking at someone the wrong way," he said.
(BMcC)
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Man charged with two assaults
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.