CCTV urged for Castlebar housing estates as fears grow over anti-social behaviour
A Castlebar councillor has called for CCTV cameras to be installed across housing estates in the town amid growing concerns over anti-social behaviour, intimidation and vandalism.
Cllr Harry Barrett tabled a motion at the April meeting of Castlebar Municipal District calling on Mayo County Council to work with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), An Garda Síochána and local residents to progress the installation of CCTV cameras.
“We have had sporadic incidents of anti-social behaviour in certain estates in Castlebar,” Cllr Barrett told the Irish Independent.
He said incidents have ranged from low-level vandalism, such as spray painting walls and other damage to property, to more serious criminal acts, including broken windows and intimidation of residents.
“People who have alerted the authorities to anti-social behaviour have had their windows broken,” he said. “We have had one or two persistent offenders who have wreaked havoc in estates.”
Cllr Barrett said residents living in council-owned and AHB-managed homes deserve to feel safe in their communities and should not have to endure ongoing fear or disruption.
While acknowledging that many of the recent incidents are at a relatively low level, he said the council and other agencies need to take a more proactive approach and make better use of available technology before problems escalate further.
“We are now living in an era where drug debt is leading to intimidation, and this is slowly but surely starting to rear its head in Castlebar, as it is in every other town.
“We are no different to any other town. It is coming our way, and there are elements of it [in Castlebar] even now,” Cllr Barrett said.
CCTV has already been installed in the town following reports of anti-social behaviour around Lough Lannagh, including a vandalism incident in June 2025 in which graffiti was sprayed on the bridge, and across benches and signage.
“If we can do it for that location, we can do it for the people living in these estates,” Cllr Barrett said.
He said many tenants had been given fantastic homes through either the local authority or AHBs, and they should be able to enjoy them without any worry or fear of intimidation.
Cllr Barrett added that it was unacceptable that some residents are facing sleepless nights due to ongoing anti-social behaviour in their communities.
“I want nobody to be stressed out, and I want people to be able to go to work and not have been kept up all night from the threat of violence,” he said.
While tackling anti-social behaviour itself remains the central issue, Cllr Barrett explained there are also difficulties in gathering evidence to support potential prosecution, something he believes CCTV would help address.
“The problem extends further when you are trying to put a case together to act, when you are dealing with an AHB or the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy of Mayo County Council - evidence becomes key,” he said.
He acknowledged that it can take considerable time to gather sufficient evidence for court cases, and said some residents are left waiting years for proceedings to get underway.
“People are left in limbo for years until these cases come before the courts,” he said. “This is too long; the whole process is taking too long. My point is, we need real-time evidence, and we need help with the evidential side of things.”
Cllr Barrett noted that CCTV would enable Gardaí to quickly view incidents after they take place, with footage then available for later use in court proceedings.
However, he acknowledged that any installation of CCTV systems would need to comply with strict data protection and governance requirements, particularly under GDPR.
Importantly, his motion calls for all relevant stakeholders, including Mayo County Council, AHBs, An Garda Síochána and the local community, to work together to progress the proposal while ensuring full compliance with data protection legislation.
The motion also proposes that the CCTV scheme be advanced through Mayo’s Local Community Safety Partnership, a new body which has replaced the former Joint Policing Committee.
“Get it done, get it financed,” he said, urging the council to take a firmer stance to ensure they are “actively coming down hard on people who are abusing what the council have put there”.
“Councils work hard, and they have spent millions of euros on these fantastic houses that are transforming the lives of many people.
“I want people to enjoy that and, as I did myself in a council house, grow up in security with no intimidation and no violence,” he said.
His motion was seconded and unanimously agreed to by elected members. Officials in Castlebar Municipal District will now begin working alongside Gardaí, AHBs and residents to develop a plan for the potential installation and funding of CCTV systems in targeted estates.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.