FOLLOWING a number of serious assaults and anti-social behaviour around Fermanagh in recent weeks, police are reassuring the public they are working as effectively as they can to tackle the issues.

Videos emerged last week of two assaults in Enniskillen, while there have also been reports of fighting and damage to property in Belcoo as well as anti-social behaviour in Tempo in recent months.

Some residents have lamented the issues in their villages, while others have questioned if the police are doing all they can to put a stop to such anti-social issues.

In response to a number of questions from The Impartial Reporter, Inspector Scott Fallis said: “Every report to police is taken seriously, reacted to and investigated as quickly as possible within the parameters of the available evidence.

“Where witnesses come forward to support the information provided, investigations will be much quicker than where a case has to be built piece by piece.

“There are, however, times when arrests are made several days after an incident occurs. This is not due to police inactivity, but due to the gathering of information and evidence which will lead to a successful prosecution.”

Inspector Fallis went on to say: “Ongoing incidents are dealt with by our Local Policing Teams, while issues raised about anti-social behaviour are usually dealt with by the respective Neighbourhood Policing Team for that area.

‘Arrests’

“Some of those issues take time to resolve, in association with other agencies, however, the police have made several arrests in recent days following reported incidents of assault and disorder in Enniskillen.”

The relationship between the police in Fermanagh and communities is a supportive one, according to Inspector Fallis, and he said the support police receive is valued and appreciated.

“We do not take our communities and their support for granted, so from our perspective there is always work to be done to maintain and build upon that confidence,” he said, adding that the timely reporting by the community of any incidents helps police to carry out their investigations in an effective manner.

“We need members of the public to report incidents in a timely manner to allow police to investigate these incidents from an early stage.

“An additional aspect of reporting crime and reporting it promptly is the ability it gives police to analyse trends and patterns which, in turn, enables us to proactively plan to have additional police in locations where trend pattern analysis tells us there may be a need.”

As Northern Ireland continues to come out of the Covid-19 lockdown, Inspector Fallis does admit that it was “inevitable” this would lead to more incidents, but compared to the rest of Northern Ireland, Fermanagh’s crime rate is low.

‘Decrease’

“It is inevitable that once lockdown measures were relaxed and more people are returning to a sense of normality, that calls for [our] service would increase, but it remains a fact that Fermanagh and Omagh have seen the largest decrease in recorded crime across Northern Ireland.”

And asked whether alcohol and drugs are a predominant factor in these incidents, he added: “Alcohol and drugs have been a factor in some of the reports we have received, but not always.

“A lot of proactive work has been done recently to search for, seize and remove drugs from our communities.”

Police regularly liaise with the Policing and Community Safety Partnership, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and a multitude of community groups in a collaborative way to reach solutions where incidents of anti-social behaviour occur.

And along with these organisations and agencies, Inspector Fallis feels the public should be comfortable speaking to their local Neighbourhood Police Officer about any community issues at an early stage.

“Members of the public are encouraged to report crime at the earliest stage, which greatly assists the investigation.

“Police also ask that any members of the public with information about crime report this to their local police, or through the Crimestoppers charity.

“We also encourage communities to consider forming Neighbourhood Watch groups in their own area.

“Neighbourhood Watch is not just about crime awareness, it’s about supporting communities and tackling issues within them.

“If you are interested in exploring the viability of a scheme in your neighbourhood, get in touch with your local Neighbourhood Police Officer, or email Fermanagh and Omagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership at pcsp@fermanaghomagh.com,” he added.