Division - No Quick Fix

This morning I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion at the Community Relations Council Annual Policy Conference at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast.

This was only one of many events taking place across Northern Ireland as part of Community Relations week 2011.

The theme for the week is 'Division - No Quick Fix'. Many of us have become so conditioned to division it almost feels normal. The conference reminded me just how much division affects and shapes our society.

At an estimated cost of £1 billion per year, division affects everything from health to education to public transport, to access to services and - at times - two of everything literally a few streets apart. This situation is not and should not be seen as normal.

Community relations, or rather, Community Confidence is a critical part of policing. Sadly so much of our time is spent dealing with the symptoms of division and whilst the Police Service has a significant role to play, we do not have all the answers and are part of a much bigger solution.

I welcome the publication of the Criminal Justice Inspectorate's report, today, on PSNI Contact Management. How we deal with people, who are very often contacing us at a time of personal crisis, is critical to community confidence in the Police Service and this has an impact on the wider issue of community relations. Every encounter we have with the public can have a significance way beyond the immediate incident.

I very much welcome the recognition from CJINI of the work which we have already undertaken and we look forward to updating the Inspectorate on how this work is being rolled out across the Service.

Much has been achieved and sometimes we can forget just how far we have come. Last weeks truly historic visit by Her Majesty the Queen to the Republic of Ireland is a prime example of this. We want to have the ability and space to support communities effectively. Time and money spent dealing with division distracts us from that ambition. But if we work together, I believe that much more can be achieved.

Every single one of us has a responsibility to play. For me that's not just in my role as Deputy Chief Constable, but also as a wife, mother and member of my local community. Never underestimate the circle of influence and the power in your hands to challenge and change division.

Achieving Success Together

Last Thursday we released our annual statistics detailing crime figures for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.

During the year there were 4,099 less victims of crime. We have reduced the level of crime to a 13-year low and increased our detection rate to 27.3%, up 1.5% on the previous year.

By working in partnership with many other public, private and voluntary agencies, road deaths have been reduced and 43 fewer people died on the roads. There were over 3,500 drugs seizures, more than the previous year resulting in fewer drugs on our streets for dealers to sell to our children and young people.

While there were 237 less victims of violent crime, robberies and sexual offences increased. Together with our partners, we are working hard to identify ways to reduce these incidents and I encourage everyone to follow our personal and business safety advice.

It is accepted that we work in a unique policing environment. No other UK police service faces the daily threat of terrorist attack on their officers and staff. Regrettably, at times this threat will impact upon the style and delivery of our service in some areas. I assure you that we will not allow the threat to prevent us from working with and in communities to tackle crime and deal with the issues that really matter.

Despite the reduction, there still were over 105,000 victims of crime and we recognise the huge impact left on some individuals long after events have passed. That’s why we will focus on the personal impact of crime and tackle anti-social behaviour and crime in a professional and protective manner.

We will continue to listen to communities, identify local issues of concern and work together to solve them. We will redouble our efforts to prevent people becoming victims of crime and where crimes occur, do our best to bring those responsible to justice.

The successful reduction of overall crime would not have been possible without your support. You are our partners in crime prevention and reduction. This is as much your success as it is ours.

Going forward we want to do even better. I appeal for your unconditional support in tackling crime, preventing serious harm and protecting communities as we strive to be the finest personal, professional and protective police service in the world.

Protecting Democratic Rights

Tomorrow thousands of people across Northern Ireland will go to the polls to vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Local Council elections and the referendum on the voting system.

Across Northern Ireland there will be 1400 Polling Stations and we have been working very closely for some time with the Electoral Commission to ensure that people exercise their democratic right to vote , safely and without disruption . At times,there will be a noticeable increased security presence to deter anyone from interfering with the electoral process but we will ensure, in so far as possible that this will be low key .

Once the polls close at 10pm tomorrow night we will be supporting the Commission to help ensure that ballot boxes reach the 8 counting centres safely and that the counting process is completed without hindrance or interruption.

I want to reassure you that this is a carefully planned and very significant police operation but one which we regard as absolutely critical to ensuring that everyone who chooses to do so can be facilitated to safely cast their vote. We will be working in partnership with many agencies to ensure that the day passes off as smoothly as possible.

This is a very important day for Northern Ireland, and you can support your police service by ensuring that you report anything suspicious to us as soon as possible. We will in turn ensure that we respond as quickly as possible to any request for assistance and ensure that any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.