We will not go back to the past

I must admit, I have been neglectful of my blog lately. Time seems to march on quickly and we all have competing pressures in our busy lives.

But I cannot let this moment pass without paying tribute to the bravery of Constable Peadar Heffron, who, through his own persistence and strong will and with the help of his family and medical staff continues to make progress after the horrific attempt on his life by terrorists.

This attack, the explosion this week at Newry Courthouse and the attempted mortar bomb attack at Keady police station, will make us all the more determined to protect our community from those who have nothing to offer. I appeal to you all to support your Police Service with your assistance and patience as we work tirelessly to root out those whose intent is clearly only one of misery and destruction.

Again the recent PSNI recruitment campaign shows that people will not be deterred in seeking an opportunity to play a part in providing a Police Service to the people of Northern Ireland. 5,232 individuals, in the first two weeks, requested application forms, those figures speak for themselves.

Community confidence and support in policing continues to grow and as we move forward in the coming days and weeks towards the transfer of Policing and Justice powers, the real local accountability this will bring will further support the delivery of community policing across Northern Ireland.