Home News Vandals leave business shattered

Vandals leave business shattered

Friday, 26 June 2009

A TORMENTED shop owner in Ballymun says she is prepared to defy rules on shop fronts imposed by Ballymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) in an effort to protect her property from further vandalism. Christine McCormack of Image Salon in Ballymun Plaza has been forced to replace more than 10 long-length windows of her property which have been smashed in recent months. She described how the intimidation and vandalism has intensified since the gardai became involved in the matter. “I had to call the gardai out every time a window was shattered, otherwise my insurance wouldn’t cover it,” she told Northside People. “The last time the gardai were up they were taking a statement from me outside the door when a group of youths began throwing potatoes at us and calling us names.” In mid May, Northside People first reported what Ms McCormack was dealing after a group of youths, who were gathered close to her business, taunted her with boasts that they would smash her windows in again. Yet another window of the salon was broken two weeks ago. “I just broke down crying when I went to the shop the next morning and saw the glass everywhere,” Ms McCormack said. “It was the final straw. I was in such a state that I shouted up at the flats nearby asking: ‘Why me, why are they out to get me?’ “So many of those flats back out onto the salon. Surely someone knows who’s doing this? “Those windows were costing me e1,500 each and we are paying that money out of our own pockets as the insurance company doesn’t pay up that easily,” Christine explained. “We just can’t afford to keep going like this. We’ll end up going out of business. We have a staff of 15 people and they all depend on this salon as well as the hundreds of clients we have.” Ms McCormack said Ballymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) could provide the solution to the problem if it would only reconsider its policy on the use of metal shutters. “I explained the situation to BRL and asked if I could put metal shutters up outside the windows but I wasn’t allowed,” explained the Ballymun businesswoman. “But it’s got to stage now where I don’t care if I have to go against BRL just to protect my property. “We have invested so much money into Ballymun, it’s such a shame that we should be forced out like this.” When contacted on the matter some months ago BRL stated that it has a policy of encouraging internal rather than external shutters in an effort to avoid the “lock-down effect” after business hours to enhance the streetscape. “We’re in the process of putting in a Ballymun wide CCTV camera system. It’s due to be up and running before the end of the summer,” a BRL spokesperson stated. Local councillor Dessie Ellis (SF) explained how Ms McCormack’s business is situated in a popular hangout for local gangs. “It’s difficult to say whether Christine is being intentionally targeted as it seems that the vandalism is happening at random,” he said. “I will be pursuing this matter with BRL in relation to their policy. I don’t know why they would want to persist with a policy that would pose such difficulties to businesses.” A Garda spokesperson said that patrols are regularly mounted in an effort to curb the level of antisocial behaviour in the area. “We would encourage people who witnesses such acts of vandalism to report them to Ballymun Garda Station,” he told Northside People. “We would also ask local businesses to contact the local crime prevention officer who will advise them on the best measures to take.”