Anger over anti-social behaviour on the quays

Workers in retail shops along the quays say they have been facing what they see as an ‘increase in dangerous behavior from the public’.

Many businesses such as Forbidden Planet International, Caffé Nero and Citylink have been faced with property damage and antisocial behavior.

“We’ve had our windows smashed twice within the space of three weeks and dealt with a break-in,” Dylan Branagan, an assistant manager in Forbidden Planet, said. “It’s feeling more unsafe by the month here.”

Forbidden Planet isn’t the only business around the area that has been facing these issues.

Liam Moore, a Caffé Nero barista in Temple Bar, said the shop has had multiple smashed windows and break-ins during the year.

“We’re considering hiring security staff in order to deal with some of the people who cause havoc in the cafe now,” Moore said.

Both Caffé Nero and Forbidden Planet have dealt with multiple attempts at robbery during working hours and workers are becoming frustrated at having the onus placed on them to deal with issues.

According to Garda reports, common assaults around the Temple Bar area increased last year by 60%, while serious assaults had risen by 90%.

Branagan said that dealing with this behaviour has become a part of the job.

“You just have to accept that you’ll be faced with dangerous situations or people and it’s having a serious impact on our workers,” Brannagan said.

He worries that it will eventually lead to one of the employee’s of the store being “seriously injured”.

Copper and Straw, another cafe located along the quays has also been dealing with, “rampant drug dealing and use” directly outside the cafe, according to barista Una Reid.

In September of last year, over twenty local business-owners signed a letter, authored by a local tourist business, asking for assistance and support in tackling crime on Bedford Lane.