Youth workers to tackle ‘disorder’ at Glasgow hotspots

Funding is being sought for permanent staff who would offer more activities to young people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Sergeant Gordon Murphy chairs a working group, launched in May, in response to “the increase in youth disorder around McDonald’s and Asda” on Prospecthill Road.

“We had our third meeting just a few weeks ago and one of the main actions from that meeting is to bring some youth outreach workers to the Toryglen area,” he said.

“All the partners and residents agree that it is a worthwhile action and valuable to understand what we can do to engage the youths in more positive outcomes.”

He added officers were working with the Castlemilk Youth Complex, which has secured some funding from the council and a housing association.

“They are looking to extend their pilot which was running for four weeks to another six weeks whereby they have put down a few of their youth outreach workers into that area to try and get an understanding of what they’d like to see in the area rather than hanging about and causing a disturbance.”

The complex is now preparing a bid to the Big Lottery Fund to take on two new youth outreach workers, he said, adding: “The long-term ideal objective would be to have permanent youth outreach workers in the Castlemilk area.”

“That work is very much in its infancy just now,” Sergeant Murphy said. “That’s something that is desperately needed for that area. We don’t have a really good understanding of what the young people would like to see in the area.

“I know there’s some good facilities there, the regeneration of the Malls Mire [community woodland] and the football pitches, and Urban Roots as well, all excellent facilities but we still have a large quota of young people not engaging in those types of interests.”

He said sporting activities, such as football, don’t appear to be “as in vogue and as popular as they used to be”. “There’s certainly a lot of young people hanging about.”

Officers are also working to address concerns over anti-social behaviour at Castlemilk library and are planning a regular surgery in the venue to reassure staff.

Sergeant Murphy reported a “slight increase” in youth anti-social behaviour at the library, particularly on a Tuesday and Thursday when it is open until 8pm.

He said: “I met with one of the managers recently and we’ve both agreed to pilot a police surgery up there when we have the resources on a Thursday night. To give the staff reassurance first of all and also to deter young people from coming in and misbehaving.”

The surgery will also give local residents an opportunity to build connections with the community policing team, he added. It will start on October 6 and run from 6.45pm until 7.45pm.