Mr. John Twomey:

It is a particularly difficult issue, as everybody in the room fully acknowledges and appreciates. We deal with it in a twofold way. First, we put a highly visible, overt uniformed presence into the area to prevent anything happening and to try to disrupt any movement or activities around the area. Then, based on whatever intelligence we have gathered, we endeavour to investigate the issue. While we may not have a specific complaint from the family or individuals involved, we endeavour to conduct our own investigations to get the necessary evidence to bring the case before the courts. We do not necessarily need a direct complaint from a specific person, although that is one very clear avenue available to us. Once we are aware of a threat of intimidation in a particular area, we endeavour to investigate it, gather the evidence and bring it to the courts. We take a two-pronged, if not three-pronged, approach. We also work with the local community projects to try to divert people away from crime. We have more than 30 youth diversion projects around the area and we try to break it up in that way. The fact that we do not have a specific complainant does not prevent us from investigating a specific allegation of intimidation.