A loss of direction among young people following the ceasefires is among the explanations suggested for the violence, writes Monika Unsworth, who examines the problem and some of the novel efforts to find a solution
The Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage is hard to stomach. A teenager is pushed to the ground by a gang of youths who then proceed to punch and kick him. As he lies on the ground one of the youths jumps on his head while two others kick him in the ribs and groin. They walk off slowly and deliberately, without even casting an eye back.
It is the kind of footage that the 26 CCTV cameras installed all over Derry city centre last December contain in abundance.
Over the past two years, violent assaults in the North's second largest city have repeatedly made the headlines, the latest that on 19- year-old Michael Curran, who remains in a critical condition in hospital after being attacked on leaving a nightclub three weeks ago. Other incidents have included bitten-off ears, stabbings, a rape and the stoning and paint-bombing of a hearse.
Firemen and paramedics on emergency calls have been attacked by youths on a regular basis. According to PSNI Inspector Nick McCaw, they were not even able until recently to enter the city centre on a Saturday night.
"Anybody injured had to be told to make their way on foot to the outskirts of the city so that they could be picked up by an ambulance. Any ambulance vehicles stopping in the city centre were immediately surrounded, rocked and stoned."
While some of the incidents are perpetrated by nationalist youths for whom any person in uniform is "fair game", the fact that both communities socialise in Derry's city centre makes the attacks less of a sectarian issue, he says.
"Alcohol would be one major factor. But it goes further than that. It's a change in young people's culture and attitudes towards drink, drugs and their fellow human beings."
Up the hill from the city centre at the nationalist Rosemount Community Centre, community worker Tommy McCourt largely agrees with that analysis but feels there is a political dimension to the violence on the nationalist side.
"During the last 30 years of history, nationalists have had a common enemy - police, British troops, the State. That has changed. Since the ceasefire, especially, the young people have lost direction. There is a feeling of alienation, that it is all over, that any decisions are now in the hands of the political leadership and they have no more input or contribution to make.
"Throwing stones at security force vehicles was a role, a sign of allegiance, of involvement. Now that they have no role left they feel: 'My father fought for it so I might as well have a good time.' "
While in Belfast sectarian riots provide an outlet for alienated youths, in Derry, always a pre-dominantly nationalist city "without the siege mentality", there is a real danger of nationalists turning on each other, Mr McCourt, a former member of the Official IRA, fears.
"This used to be a united, close-knit community which is now in danger of imploding. I remember the days when youths would stop a riot to let an old lady cross the road. Now the violence is becoming increasingly nasty and mindless and there is a feeling that your own people could turn on you at any time, due to drink, lack of parental supervision and a complete lack of respect for anyone."
Publicans are partly to blame for the alcohol-related violence, he feels. "There is a lot of 'blitz drinking' going on, mixing Red Bull and shorts, and there are all those special offers - happy hour, a pint for a pound, two for the price of one. Landlords feel if they don't do it the pub up the road will. It's time the council stepped in and started regulating practices, staggering opening hours and so on."
Another Derry phenomenon is the "compensation culture", according to Brendan Duddy, chairman of the City Centre Initiative (CCI), a group of leading business people in the city. "In this city, we pay young people to fight. In my estimate over 80 per cent of compensation claims are false, alleging assault by 'three or more persons unknown', when in reality it might have been a fight at home or between mates.
I don't want to take away from the genuine cases but it's a common enough Derry-phrase: 'I'm off to Tenerife on a claim.' "
While Insp McCaw's estimate is slightly more moderate, he admits it is a common occurrence to see people turn up a week after an alleged attack to report an assault.
"There is a large percentage of claims where there would be no useful evidence forthcoming to help police detect the offenders."
The installation of CCTV has, however, made a big difference in weeding out false claims from genuine ones, he says, as it has in all other areas of crime detection. Prior to the setting-up of the cameras last December, police recorded 11.7 city centre assaults per week. That number has fallen to 6.8, a 42 per cent reduction. Due to the political sensitivities in the city, the system is not run by police but by an independent panel of monitors, although police can request footage at any time.
The system's independence has ensured that it is supported by all political parties on the council except Sinn Féin, and has so far saved cameras from any physical attacks as are frequent in Belfast, where cameras are perceived as the "spying eyes" of the security forces.
Another novel approach to tackling the violence is the Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) group, which sends out three- or four-strong foot patrols on weekend nights to mediate between people and break up potential fights. Noel McCartney, a CRJ member, says the reasons for the group's success lie in its impartiality and community roots.
"We never take sides and we come from the same community as most of the people we are dealing with. The other day somebody asked me if I had a death wish, but so far we have been lucky and none of us trying to break up a fight has been injured.
CRJ is not currently co-operating with police and feels it can cope with 99 per cent of incidents themselves. However, Mr McCartney, admits, that working with the police would greatly enhance the group's effectiveness: "Once the political parties solve the policing issue, we will not be found wanting. As far as I'm concerned, that moment can't come fast enough."
CCI chairman Brendan Duddy says Derry is suffering the consequences of political transition.
"The IRA no longer controls the streets and the PSNI is only just beginning its long road to recovery. There is a deep-seated hatred that has left one section of the community without any trust in authority and, more importantly, without the will to trust."