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Gardaí deploy undercover units on Dart line to stamp out spate of anti-social behaviour

There have been violent scenes in Howth and Malahide in recent weeks.

GARDAÍ HAVE PLACED undercover units on the Dart to combat a spate of anti-social incidents on the line in recent weeks.

Various videos have been shared online showing serious violent acts in the Malahide, Howth and Sutton areas of north county Dublin. 

A video emerged at the start of this month showing a young woman falling between a Dart and the platform at Howth Junction station. 

A group of teenagers had attempted to hit her and get in her way moments before she fell. Three teenage boys, two aged 16 and one aged 13, were arrested last week in relation to the incident. They were since released without charge. 

Locals have long called for an additional garda presence in the area, especially around summertime when groups of young people congregate in the seaside towns. 

As a result of several violent incidences, garda management has ordered that both uniformed and covert units be placed at these stations during times when anti-social behaviour is at its most frequent. 

Each chief superintendent in Dublin has implemented policing plans in respect of their own divisions, specifically targeting public transport including Luas, buses, Dart, trains and recreational areas.

Gardaí are also conducting both overt and covert patrols of various public transport to address incidents of non-compliance of Covid laws, incidences of anti-social behaviour or any other criminal offences.

Last week, The Journal travelled to these north county towns to speak to locals about the upturn in violent incidences in their localities. 

Jonathan Cooke owns the local newsagent Anne’s in Howth. He told TheJournal he is “sick to his back teeth” dealing with what he described as “gangs of young people”.

“They’re out there drinking, doing drugs, fighting, throwing cans at people, jumping into the water in the nude. They’ve also been heard shouting racist things at people as well. For me, I just can’t take them. 

“It’s about to kick off again when the kids are out of school. The amount of drink they bring with them is unreal. We need more gardaí big time. I am highly critical of the gardaí but I still want more of them. On Saturday and Sunday, we could have 5,000 or 6,000 people here and there is no garda presence there are no gardaí on the beat.  Visibility is key,” Cooke added.

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    Mute Seann Farrell
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    May 19th 2021, 8:57 AM

    On a recent trip from Heuston Stn in a packed Luas, a drunken man jammed next to me, began a loud abusive tirade against all. As the spat and the spittle developed, his face was far too close, I challenged him to be quiet- or similar words, he became physically agressive. I was pleasantly surprised when a young woman stood up and identified herself as a Garda and took the aggressor and handcuffed him off at the next stop. Thanks to the Garda that day.

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    Mute Johnny Mads
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    May 19th 2021, 6:37 AM

    Genuine question – i know it says both but why use undercover? I thought the best way to prevent crime is just have a strong overt presence on all corners. Unless maybe they’re looking to track down certain groups?

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 19th 2021, 6:55 AM

    @Johnny Mads: I understand visible guards would make the community/people aware and feel protected however having undercover guards is also great to catch these nasty people when they think they aren’t being watched by the guards.

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    Mute Maria Quinn
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    May 19th 2021, 7:03 AM

    @Johnny Mads: good question considering there are cameras continuing recording each coach.
    There is already visible private security. You can see them before they get on board.
    In that line most of the attacks are against the same anyone whose English is second language from tourists to underage students to workers.
    An undercover Gardaí should be able to caught them easily ….the problem is the Garda own bias, Garda tends to do nothing to protect anyone whose first language isn’t English … Ireland is the only country in the EU without multilingual operators in the emergency line, and emergency phone operators that cut a call because they can’t understand someone in distress with an accent of ESL … third word and in a country where their wealth comes from the multilingual services teams operating here and studying of English

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    Mute Steve Saunders
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    May 19th 2021, 7:27 AM

    @Johnny Mads: I agree, visible is better. Covert might give us a false sense of security and think Gardai are around when in fact there are none.

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    Mute Phil Redmond
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    May 19th 2021, 7:55 AM

    @Maria Quinn: Wow that is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever heard. Almost everything you have said is wrong

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    Mute Johnny Mads
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    May 19th 2021, 8:28 AM

    @Ciarán: I do personally like that approach, but my worry is that these people dont actually get any real punishment which would make the undercover a waste of time. I think a heavy uniformed presence is best but either way lets hope they do their job !

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    Mute Ronan Dunne
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    May 19th 2021, 8:29 AM

    @Maria Quinn: what’s your first language ??

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    Mute Ken Coldrick
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    May 19th 2021, 9:03 AM

    @Johnny Mads: undercover means they will not be there at all..you are 100% correct…why be undercover at all… visibility is the key to stopping this.

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    Mute Karl
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    May 19th 2021, 11:23 AM

    @Maria Quinn:. First off, that’s not true about the emergency call takers. France requires a long wait to obtain an English speaker.

    Second, Ireland is the only country that allows non nationals to join the national police force without being able to speak the national language.

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    Mute Adrian Versey
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    May 19th 2021, 11:36 AM

    @Maria Quinn: Please provide evidence to back up your statement regarding the Garda giving preference to English speaking people.

    30
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    Mute Frédéric Slimane
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    May 19th 2021, 3:58 PM

    @Phil Redmond: from personal experience(s)i beg to differ and agree with her!

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 19th 2021, 6:50 AM

    Undercover or visible.. either way still good to have.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 19th 2021, 6:56 AM

    @Ciarán: I understand visible guards would make the community/people aware and feel protected however having undercover guards is also great to catch these nasty people when they think they aren’t being watched by the guards.

    67
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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    May 19th 2021, 7:43 AM

    @Ciarán: They are underage so even if caught, they’d be let back out straight away

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    Mute Ciarán
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    May 19th 2021, 8:47 AM

    @Mickety Dee: they should be or parents fined.

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    Mute Mike Heelan
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    May 19th 2021, 7:33 AM

    Let the parents take responsibility.

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    Mute Paddy Cullen AIWS
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    May 19th 2021, 7:52 AM

    @Mike Heelan: unfortunately they’re probably just as bad

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    Mute paul burke
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    May 19th 2021, 7:28 AM

    I live in a Seaside town and Anti Social behavior especially at weekends is out of control. The Dart is dodgy at any time after Connolly and all the stations are unmanned .

    As usual there is no proper deterrent as they are mostly juveniles so this allows them to do what they want.
    In Ireland advance planning for anything is only done when things get really bad and if you are expecting a response that works long term don’t hold your breadth.
    I’m not advocating birching but a ‘Sin’ bin should be provided so any juvenile with 3 strikes get a week if boot camp. Then progressively more. This should be automatic and they should not have a criminal record to help the idiots cop on.
    Where are the parents in all this …probably absent and useless. !
    Action not words is required.

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    Mute Nicola Moore
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    May 19th 2021, 8:09 AM

    @paul burke: last time I got the Dart it was delayed by 30 mins because of anti-social behaviour at Blackrock.

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    Mute Sarah Lou
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    May 19th 2021, 8:26 AM

    @paul burke: not sure given the gravity of the crimes reported that one should be given 3 strikes before a weekend at boot camp which to be fair could even be seen as fun before any long term consequences. They aren’t robbing penny sweets their actions will have long term consequences for the victims of their senseless crimes.

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    Mute dubirishHerbguy
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    May 19th 2021, 2:38 PM

    @Sarah Lou: They were releassed without charge because the file was sent to the DPP ( department of public prosecution ) They will go trough it all in detail and decide who to charge with what crimes as and how many charges they shouldn’t be charged with etc. it could take 8-12 months for it to come back from the dpp due to backlogs . but they will get back to them and they either say there not going ahead with charges ( in some cases ) so theyll be charged I’d say but not for 6 months +

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    Mute Karl
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    May 21st 2021, 12:28 AM

    @dubirishHerbguy: just a small correction. It’s the DIRECTOR of public prosecution

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    Mute Dearbhla O Reilly
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    May 19th 2021, 9:29 AM

    These kids have no respect for the Gardai. Whether undercover or visible.
    It’s the justice system and juvenile leniency that’s letting everyone down. Especially the Gardai.
    Change is needed on that or nothing else matters

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    Mute Eric
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    May 19th 2021, 9:25 AM

    Undercover cops arresting teenagers who will then be released without charge. Justice, Irish style!

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    Mute Michael Dikie Foran
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    May 19th 2021, 7:12 AM

    Getting like the film The Warriors

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    Mute paul christopher cox
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    May 19th 2021, 12:06 PM

    @Michael Dikie :
    Warriors come out and play….Always thought that lad looked like Bono!

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    Mute Maalouf
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    May 19th 2021, 8:49 AM

    If I see anything like that I’d launch in and batter the bejasysis out of them. They’ll pick on the wrong person one day. Flurry of spinning backfists, hook kicks, the lot.

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    Mute Richard Casey
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    May 19th 2021, 9:26 AM

    Released without charge…….why?

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    May 19th 2021, 10:52 AM

    @Richard Casey: The fact that the video was all over the net will make a conviction much harder.

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    Mute Karl
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    May 19th 2021, 11:26 AM

    @Richard Casey: they are juveniles so a file needs to be sent to both the dpp and the jlo before they can be charged.

    That’s the system in Ireland since 1922

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    Mute Gary Mullen
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    May 19th 2021, 12:49 PM

    @Richard Casey: files sent to the DPP and garda have to gather evidence.

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    Mute Ger
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    May 19th 2021, 10:36 AM

    It’s time we had a dedicated transport police like they have in London. The public travel network in Dublin is big enough nowadays to warrant it. Its not just issues on stretches of the DART but there are areas of south and west Dublin that Bus drivers regularly refuse to enter and plenty of problems on the Luas, especially the red line.

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    Mute Dearbhla O Reilly
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    May 19th 2021, 11:08 AM

    @Ger: God I hate the red line. I hate my kids using it too

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    Mute Trevor Fallon
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    May 19th 2021, 11:21 AM

    @Ger: Yes but who would pay for it? Transport police in UK are funded by transport companies and receive no central government funding. See attached:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Transport_Police

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    Mute Ger
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    May 19th 2021, 11:33 AM

    @Trevor Fallon: currently both the DART and Luas use private security and pay for them. Clearly its not enough. So replacing them with a transport police with actual powers if arrest would be better. Who cares how its paid for,. Its needed.

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    Mute Ger
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    May 19th 2021, 11:34 AM

    @Dearbhla O Reilly: yeah I hate using it myself, I’ve seen lots of stuff on it over the years.

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    Mute Maria Quinn
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    May 19th 2021, 6:47 AM

    The victim is a teen and underage as well as the rest of the girls on the platform.
    Gardaí would be useless with the male approach of consent improper conduct of males against females, and show the male aggressors as poor little things and their underage female victims as grown up adult that should know better.

    So going on the inaction way, no safe for females passengers, neither tourists as usual or anyone talking in other language than English …. because of the security consent by inaction for years

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    Mute Phil Redmond
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    May 19th 2021, 8:23 AM

    @Maria Quinn: More gibberish. Give it a rest would ya

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    Mute Ronan Dunne
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    May 19th 2021, 8:32 AM

    @Maria Quinn: you seem to have an obsession with English speaking people ,. Why don’t you learn it yourself

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    Mute Michael Mcgregor
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    May 19th 2021, 10:08 AM

    @Maria Quinn:
    Ridiculous attempt to turn an antisocial and criminal issue into a gender based issue. Yes! The victim in this case was a young female but all of society is affected by this problem.

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    Mute Karl
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    May 19th 2021, 11:36 AM

    @Maria Quinn: Jesus wept.

    Gender, nationality, next?????

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    May 19th 2021, 11:46 AM

    @Maria Quinn: totally incorrect. You are full of it.

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    Mute Sparky
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    May 19th 2021, 10:45 AM

    What’s the point when the judges let them off??waste of time prosecuting people with the current judges

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    Mute Karl
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    May 19th 2021, 11:36 AM

    “I am highly critical of the gardaí but I still want more of them”

    Seems to be the general attitude in Ireland

    14
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    Mute Frédéric Slimane
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    May 19th 2021, 3:54 PM

    The mother of one of the 3 boys involved is suing the company because they apparently leaked the CCTV and in doing so broke her son’s right to privacy no joke!

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    Mute Karl
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    May 21st 2021, 12:25 AM

    @Frédéric Slimane: correct. Meaning cctv only benefits those caught in it. Does nothing to assist the prosecution

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    Mute adrian j aungier
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    May 19th 2021, 10:14 AM

    Typical weekend in Dublin

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    Mute Jonathan
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    May 19th 2021, 6:52 AM

    They are going down

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    Mute Miss T
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    May 19th 2021, 10:08 AM

    @Jonathan: …to the dart station again to carry on regardless as there’s no deterrent! Little scrotes that have been dragged up!

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    Mute Colin Heffernan
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    May 19th 2021, 1:45 PM

    Best news today, deal with the skrotes and their feckless parents

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    Mute Shcoop
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    May 19th 2021, 1:58 PM

    Pity it took a serious incident for this to happen, was badly needed for a long time.

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    Mute Scott Coulter
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    May 19th 2021, 2:41 PM

    Some outstanding pillars of the community travelling on public transport all through this lockdown. Essential travel only was the rule. But they use the opportunity to do their business runs, (nudge nudge wink wink). So undercover presence from gardi is great idea. Take down these individuals.

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    Mute Anne Busher Collins
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    May 19th 2021, 2:44 PM

    Why not a separate transport police which I’ve seen work in other countries like Australia, Dubai and Singapore. They have powers of arrest in Australia but are not directly a police force.

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    Mute Karl
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    May 21st 2021, 12:26 AM

    @Anne Busher Collins: that badges no sense. You called them police with arrest pets and then say they arent police

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    Mute Alan Richard Scott Jr.
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    May 19th 2021, 5:23 PM

    Looking forward to all the lefties coming out defending these hooligans. when these lads/girls are arrested, they will play the victim card saying the government failed them, they have HDHD. they have mental health issues blah blah.

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    Mute Frédéric Slimane
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    May 19th 2021, 5:58 PM

    @Alan Richard Scott Jr.: lefties?it has nothing to do with politics i am what you would call a “lefty”and i think these people should feel the full force of the justice system.

    5
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