Around 300 youths were discovered drinking in the Country Park late on Saturday night, with the incident the latest in a long line of reported ant-social behaviour in the area.
Describing the meeting as ‘thorough’ and ‘productive’, Councillor McAllister said she welcomed the combined effort of the North Belfast Police Team and Belfast City Council’s Parks team to find a long-term solution to the problem.
Councillor Nuala McAllister said: “I held a productive meeting with senior members of the North Belfast Policing team on Tuesday, following the discovery of an illegal rave on Saturday night.
“In a worrying trend it appears social media may have been used to organise and co-ordinate Saturday’s gathering, with the result that many young people attending had travelled from outside of North Belfast.
“I have been assured the PSNI will be working with Belfast City Councils Anti-Social Behaviour and Parks officers to not only police the cave hill area throughout the week, but also monitor social media sites to keep ahead of any planned events. With the internet in easy reach for the majority of young people it is essential the PSNI look at effective ways to monitor this going forward.
“While the response from the Neighbourhood Police team was quick and effective on the night, the numbers of crowds were so large it took some time for all youths to be dispersed – resulting in complaints from local residents.
“Many living in the area have had to put up with numerous anti-social incidents, and while Saturday’s was the most serious by far, we must all work together to ensure the relevant preventative measures are in place going forward. I will continue to work with local residents and listen to their concerns to make sure anti-social behaviour issues in the area are addressed.”