SINN FÉIN president Gerry Adams has welcomed a new project, which was announced by British direct rule minister Paul Goggins yesterday, to tackle crime and antisocial activity in west Belfast.
The initiative, called the West Belfast Community Safety Forum, is a new strategic partnership involving local community groups and politicians, the PSNI and the relevant statutory bodies.
It follows three murders in west Belfast since September - those of Harry Holland, John Mongan and Frank McGreevy - and what some community activists and commentators have described as an outbreak of lawlessness in the area.
At one stage a columnist in the local Sinn Féin-supporting newspaper, the Andersonstown News, was critical of constituency MP Mr Adams, accusing him of not taking enough action to help combat the problem.
The Sinn Féin president rejected that criticism, but recently the PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde, Mr Adams, Mr Goggins and members of the Holland family began an initiative to tackle antisocial behaviour.
"The message from all parts of the community is the same - everyone wants something done to make their streets safer," said Mr Goggins at the launch of the forum in west Belfast yesterday.
Mr Adams said he wanted to acknowledge the "frustration and anger that existed about the level and consequences of anti-community and criminal activity from a tiny minority in west Belfast".
"This community safety forum approach has the potential to reduce crime, reduce anti-community behaviour, improve community life, including the health of citizens, and of saving money currently spent, for example, on supervising the 500 people from west Belfast who are currently on a range of community-based orders."
