Listening to positive conversations

I spent yesterday in the City of Derry.

I wanted to show my support to the people of the City, to the District Commander, Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin, his officers and staff, but to also hear first hand from people locally and get a sense of their feeling in the aftermath of yet another, thankfully unsuccessful, attack on the people of that City.

I went out on patrol in the City Centre, walked the walls and met with local community and business representatives and members of the clergy.

The conversations reminded me of how people from all sides and backgrounds are working together to ensure that this City has a bright and positive future and that those who are pursuing a very different agenda remain isolated. Quite frankly a few years ago these conversations simply would not have been taking place and I am very grateful to those who have stepped forward to support and advocate for the Police Service in Derry and in many other areas across Northern Ireland.

The events not just in the City of Derry but in North and West Belfast in recent days show the determination of a small minority of people to disrupt normal community life and to injure or kill the officers who police in those communities. The signficance of the device located in the grounds of the Dwyers GAC on the Grosvenor Road earlier this week may have been lost. This was a viable coffee jar type device which had it been picked up or inadvertently dislodged would have without doubt casued death or serious injury . During this clearance operation homes were evacuated, shops closed and access to the Royal Victoria Hospital disrupted. This disruption affected so many people; familes, school children, businesses and the sick needing access to hospital.

I have great concern for the safety of the public as these people recklessly leave devices in their own communities. I am also concerned for the safety of my officers who are working to deliver the community based policing service people are asking us for . But I am sad that people, who tell us they are campaigning on behalf of their communities, would treat the lives of those living there with such little respect. They don't appear to care that with any one of these devices, they could kill or seriously injure their next door neighbour, a child, an older person. It is beyond words, beyond comprehension.

I received a briefing from Chief Superintendent Martin yesterday on how he and his officers and staff are working around the clock with extra patrols to keep people safe. But whilst we will do everything we possibly can to detect and frustrate those who attempt to carry out acts of terror, history has shown that a security solution alone can never totally eradicate terrorism.

What I witnessed first hand yesterday was group of people who are absolutely determined to make sure the mistakes of the past are not repeated, that the young people of Derry have a bright and promising future, and that they have a Police Service who consistently strive to provide a personal, professional and protective service.

I share their vision and I firmly believe that their actions and united voices are more powerful than anything else. Everyone has a part to play, everyone has a voice and a degree of influence, people must speak out. Together that collective, positive influence can define our future

Officers of the Police Reserve remembered and honoured

On Sunday I had the privilege to join with dignitaries, police and staff colleagues past and present and family members, in an Act of Worship to mark the service of the Police Reserve.

St Anne's Cathedral was packed to capacity, as those present recognised the outstanding contribution and personal sacrifice of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC and the Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve.

The RUC Reserve was formed in 1970 at the height of the troubles to support their regular colleagues in maintaining an effective response to terrorism. 102 members of the Police Reserve, full and part time, were killed and many more were injured. 13 others were killed by terrorists after leaving the Service.

In 1999 Patten Commission recommendation 103 stated that the future police service should not include a Full Time Reserve. In line with this recommendation the Reserve is being phased out , with the last of the serving Reserve officers finishing operational duties later this month.

During the Service, an act of remembrance and dedication took place where five candles were lit, by a son and a widow of murdered Reserve officers, a serving Full Time Reserve and a serving Police Officer (Part-Time) Reserve, and a former Reserve officer. The candles represented courage and dedication, self sacrifice, bravery and fortitude and treasured memories.

At the service the Chief Constable paid tribute to the outstanding service of the Reserve to the people of Northern Ireland. He said "Whether you or your loved ones served full time or part-time, you faced the same dangers, the same risks as the regular colleagues you worked alongside.

He continued: "Today we honour with sadness and gratitude our Reserve colleagues who laid down their lives so that the future may be approached with hope of peace. We acknowledge those who today bear the mental and physical scars.”

The public owe the officers of the Reserve a great debt of gratitude and it is my sincere hope that society will never forget what the officers of the Police Reserve helped to achieve.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the wider police family will certainly never forget the bravery and sacrifice of their colleagues and honour their commitment and achievement.

Acknowledging the past: defining the future

As the second anniversaries of Sappers Patrick Azimkar, Mark Quinsey and Constable Stephen Carroll approach, my thoughts are with their families and loved ones.

For the Police Service of Northern Ireland, although Stephen’s loss is never far away, his anniversary brings the stark reality of it to the fore once again. His family and colleagues will remember him in their own ways and through a series of events that reflect his character and his sense of duty.

Events of the last two weeks have also reminded us of the terrible loss that has been suffered by so many people in our small part of the world. Over the years of our troubled history there are so many people who have experienced this terrible pain and loss. Time has passed and huge progress has been made; but for many, the pain is still real and still raw.

As a community we have come such a long way. The peace process here has astounded people right around the world. We should not lose sight of how far we have travelled. But we must keep working at it. The path ahead is long and there are challenges that will make the journey difficult. Only by travelling the path together can we hope to make the journey successfully. We must do so conscious of each others’ past; acknowledging each others’ pain; and learning from each others’ experiences.

This is not easy. From my own perspective – the longer I serve as a police officer – the greater my realisation becomes of exactly how difficult this is. The challenge is immense; and it is humbling. But we must continue to work at finding a way to heal the hurt. We owe it to all of those who have suffered; we owe it to those for whom the grief remains raw; and we owe it to our children and their children.

For the community and for our political representatives; and for all other organisations in civic society; acknowledging and dealing with our past is one of the defining issues for our future.

On Wednesday night shots were fired at officers in Derry as they responded to a call about an abandoned vehicle. Two years after the murder of Stephen Carroll, Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey this latest attack serves as a cold reminder, that failure to acknowledge and learn from our past, creates a vacuum for those wishing to perpetuate the divisions we thought we had left behind.

The reaction of the community following the attack has been powerful, with community representatives commenting: “an attack on the Police Service is an attack on all of us”.

Despite the significant threat to their lives, my officer and staff colleagues remain committed to serving the community in which they work.

More and more people are rightly talking of “our police service”. The strength of this relationship would not have been achieved without the brave steps and hard work put in by both the community and the police service over the last few years. Our commitment to continuing this work remains absolute.