A PLANNED meeting between a North Belfast housing association, residents and the PSNI over anti-social behaviour was called off this week, just days after a dissident republican group called for it to be cancelled.
The meeting was subsequently cancelled by NB Housing, who had earlier sent a letter to residents of their 28 Flax Street block in Ardoyne inviting them to a meeting to discuss youths gaining access to the building.
The letter stated that NB Housing was engaging with Insec security and the PSNI, and called for a "collaborative approach" to resolve the issue.
Saoradh said they were subsequently contacted by residents who were concerned about the meeting, with some stating they would not be comfortable engaging with the PSNI around the issue.
The republican group said some residents – including one Saoradh member – have lost family members due to collusion and they will not be participating in any "collaborative approach".
Following the cancelled meeting, NB Housing placed a notice in the building stating that they would be "in contact with residents in due course".
Saoradh representative Dee Fennell said no residents agreed to attend the meeting.
"Saoradh welcome the fact that residents have flatly rejected any PSNI involvement in resolving this issue, and we would call on NBHA to implement the changes needed to this complex that will adequately resolve the problems regarding anti-social behaviour," he said.
"The residents stated to us their opposition to the PSNI being hosted on the property and, quite rightly, none of them agreed to attend and the meeting was cancelled.
"The PSNI do not offer solutions to anti-social behaviour and criminality in Ardoyne, instead they perpetuate it by turning a blind eye and recruiting those involved as ten pound touts.
"Instead NB Housing should take responsibility for securing their property adequately and to the betterment of their tenants. This could be solved via securing the entrance and padlocking two small gates, as well as ensuring adequate security checks."
