Looking back and looking forward

This will more than likely be my last blog of 2010 and as I look back on 2010 and plan ahead for 2011 and beyond, I reflect on a year of many challenges, rewards and frustrations , and look forward to a year full of both challenge and promise.

Over the past year I sense more than ever that the Police Service of Northern Ireland has begun to establish its own identity and demonstrate that it is a police service which can be trusted and respected. It is hard to take in that the PSNI is almost 10 years old. Trust and confidence must be earned, and I believe in many areas we are seeing that relationship of trust building in very tangible ways.

Ultimately it is our delivery of a personal, professional and protective policing that will be the deciding factor in earning and retaining your support , and you will rightly hold us to account on that.

As I reflect, I think of the worrying increase in the threat from terrorists. I think of the officers who have been injured and I am mindful of the very significant efforts of your police service to keep everyone safe.

This has been a very difficult and costly task - both in terms of the personal cost borne by injured officers and members of the community who themselves have suffered at the hands of terrorists.

Just last night, two days before Christmas, the home of a police officer and his family was targeted in County Fermanagh, my thoughts are with them.

I assure you that we are, and remain, absolutely determined to do all we can to counter this threat and to keep people safe.

We operate in a unique policing environment, but despite the challenges we have continued to deliver many successes over the past year.

By way of example, between January and October this year, there were 169 terrorist related arrests with 59 people charged. This compares to a total of 17 people charged during all of 2009.; over 90 crime gangs have been frustrated, disrupted or dismantled ; whilst one road death is too many, road traffic fatalities have been considerably reduced; over 570 additional police officers have been deployed to the front line; we've seen a huge growth in Neighbourhood Watch Schemes; and perhaps a first in UK policing , we've seen stolen property recovered as a result of one of our Facebook initiatives.

We are not complacent and we acknowledge that many of our successes are a direct result of the relationship which we have developed and the support which we continue to receive from all parts of the community right across Northern Ireland. Your continued support will ensure that we can continue to deliver the type and style of policing which we all want and deserve.

As I plan over the next few weeks to spend a little more time with my family and friends, I look forward to 2011 and working with you all to build on the progress which we have made.

Thank you for your support over the past year. I encourage you all to take care and be responsible when you are out and about over the next few weeks.

I wish you all a very enjoyable and peaceful Christmas and New Year.