Ards and North Down Council contacted PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boucher to request additional police officers for Bangor. Councillors unanimously supported a motion from Bangor councillor Jennifer Gilmour at a recent meeting. The motion asks for extra resources to assist Superintendent Johnston McDowell, the area's police commander.

Recent disturbances involved groups of youths fighting in High Street and Quay Street. These took place in recent weeks during good weather. Weeks earlier, young people vandalised local businesses. K9 Search and Rescue volunteer Ryan Gray and his dog Max suffered an attack.

The council's director of Active and Healthy Communities, Adele Faulkner, reported a meeting of the Beaches and Coastal Resource Planning Group. Attendees included representatives from Translink, PSNI, Community Safety Team, Street Pastors, YMCA, and Neighbourhood Environment Team. They created a plan featuring interventions on transport links before the May Day bank holiday.

Gilmour pointed to insufficient police resources for handling incidents. Former mayor Alistair Cathcart described the anti-social behaviour as unacceptable. He connected it to underage drinking in good weather and requested increased police and multi-agency presence at train stations.

Cathcart commended Street Pastors for aiding vulnerable individuals and removing alcohol and nitrous oxide bottles. Ulster Unionist councillor Pete Wray, chair of the Policing Community and Safety Partnership, backed additional police resources. Wray emphasised involvement from parents, carers, and school education programmes.

Wray noted similar problems last year and called for ongoing funding rather than more meetings. Councillor Wesley Irvine mentioned repeated violence. He criticised the closure of Bangor police station to the public. Green Party councillor Lauren Kendall proposed councillor participation in multi-agency meetings.