Glasgow residents in Bridgeton 'too frightened' to report anti-social behaviour to police

Glasgow residents living in the east end are too “frightened” to report anti-social behaviour to police in an area where a community centre is being vandalised daily.

The Bridgeton Community Learning Campus is undergoing improvement work but is being targeted every day by vandals, a meeting heard.

And a Calton councillor has suggested offenders could be threatened with ‘consequences’ over council tenancies, warning they don’t see the police alone as a big enough threat.

Calling for more CCTV in the area as anti-social behaviour is “constant,” housing representative Margaret Storrie told the Calton Area Partnership meeting: “People are frightened. They are scared to tell the police because their lives could be in danger.”

Labour councillor Cecilia O’Lone said residents in the Reidvale area had seen cars smashed and asked for information on how residents could be supported.

East Local Area Commander Greg Roberton said sometimes incidents aren’t reported because of a confidence issue or people are “fearful of repercussions.”

Urging councillor O’Lone to contact the police with issues on people’s behalf if they don’t want to report a crime themselves, the Chief Inspector said: “Knowing about it is the best thing.”

Labour councillor George Redmond said: “What we have to understand is the police can’t do this on our own. We need to try and provide as much support as we can.”

He said some people “probably don’t see the police as a threat on their own.”

He added: “But if they are threatened with consequences in terms of their tenancy then sometimes that gets the message (across) and that means we don’t have the problem.”

Councillor Linda Pike said residents know who the young people causing problems are.

The SNP politician added: “Nobody is willing to say who they are.”

Lesley Ward, of the Third Sector Forum, said: “Vandalism is happening on a daily basis at the Bridgeton Community Learning Campus. As you are aware there is a new green space development going on in the Old Dalmarnock Road area. It is looking amazing but on a daily basis it is getting vandalised.”

Ms Ward said a new gate was “kicked down” the day after it was created, there is evidence of drug use, graffiti and fires are being lit.

She added: “It seems to me there’s an awful lot of money being spent and it is just ongoing – it is being destroyed as it is being developed.”

Police sergeant Bobby Fisher said there are hopes to introduce diversionary tactics to keep youths busy on Saturday and Friday evenings when disorder mostly happens in the Bridgeton area.

He said the police are working on the problems at the Bridgeton Community Learning Campus but there is a struggle to gain “hard evidence.”