Policing in the Community with the Community

I really enjoy and look forward to the opportunity to visit the officers and staff who deliver frontline policing across Northern Ireland.

The chance to get out on patrol and meet with members of the Community is a welcome break from the challenges and rigour of governance meetings and paperwork. It also serves as a reminder that our central ethos as senior officers is to support effective service delivery to the public.

This morning I met with officers and staff in Ballymena and went on patrol in the town centre and Portglenone area. Human nature is such that many people take the time to tell me what exactly they think of their Police Service. Sometimes they will tell me about things that haven't been done well and it's really important I hear those personal stories first hand. But often they take time to pay tribute to the excellent work which the Service is delivering across every community.

I am not saying that we get everything right all of the time, but when I visit local areas I am reminded just how dedicated and committed your local police officers and staff are as they seek to deliver personal, professional and protective policing.

We simply cannot deliver this on our own and that's why it is absolutely critical that local communities proactively support their local police, by taking the time to tell them what is important to them, and by reporting any information or suspicious activity which might help the police to keep them safer.

Today I heard first hand how people in the Ballymena area are working with their local police to make their community safer and to address those issues which matter most to local people. It's very easy for people to become self consumed and to leave this important task to others.

I thank those of you who whether as individuals, community organisations or statutory partners support and work with your local police. Many of you I know do this out of a sense of vocation and without you, your Police Service simply couldn't do what it does.

Keeping you and your vehicle safe

With two more so called ‘car-jackings’ reported yesterday evening, I fully understand why some motorists may feel vulnerable when out driving alone.

I do not underestimate the impact of these incidents on those people involved, but it is important to highlight that despite these recently reported car-jackings, the likelihood of becoming a victim of this type of crime is slim. Thousands of motorists travel safely along our roads daily.

That said, we are very concerned about the recent spate of incidents. We have increased our resources in the city centre and have implemented a comprehensive pro-active police operation to prevent these crimes taking place, investigate, detect and arrest those responsible and put them before the courts.

The majority of these recent incidents have been ‘opportunist’ in nature – so please follow these simple personal security steps:

While driving:

• Keep your doors locked.


• Keep windows closed or partially closed - enough to prevent someone from reaching in and unlocking doors or grabbing items.


• Do not place items, such as handbags, phones, laptops, in full view on the passenger or back seat. Put them on the floor under your seat, in the glove box, or lock them in the boot.


• If you are forced to stop abruptly, keep your engine running and make sure you have enough room to drive away.


• You MUST stop for the police but it's quite reasonable to ask for identification through a closed window and keep the engine running until you are satisfied.


• Beware of anyone who tries to signal that there's something wrong with your car, unless you know they're right and it is dangerous to drive on.


• If another driver gets out of their vehicle or pedestrian approaches you and you have concerns about their behaviour, flash your lights and sound your horn.


• If you have an alarm, set it off.

When parking or returning to a parked car:

• Park in well lit, busy areas or car park.


• When approaching your parked vehicle, be alert to anyone hanging around and if necessary walk past your car and report anything suspicious to the police immediately.


• If your vehicle has an alarm fitted with a panic button and you think you are being approached suspiciously, activate it.


• As you approach your car have your keys ready, if the car design allows it, unlock the driver's door only and once inside lock you doors.


• When you stop your vehicle, for example to get fuel or purchase a parking ticket, never leave your keys in the ignition or engine running, and always lock your car.


• Keep an eye out for fellow motorists and report anything suspicious immediately to the police.

Your Police Service will continue to do everything it can to prevent incidents of this type occurring, but you can assist us and keep yourself safer, by following the simple steps outlined.

Working in Partnership with our Communities

The attempted bomb attack on an off duty soldier last week was a reminder, if we needed one, that there remains a small number of people who at the start of a New Year for whatever reason, have signalled their intention to continue bringing murder and violence to the streets of Belfast.

I welcome the cross community public condemnation and I know that the vast majority of people have clearly indicated that they do not want this.

This attack, had it been successful, would quite likely not only have killed the intended target but anyone who was in the area at the time. This was a totally indiscriminate, irresponsible and reckless attack on the community of Ligoniel and the people of that community have every right to be very angry at those who carried it out.

I want to reassure you that we will be doing everything we can to undertake a detailed analysis of the evidence recovered at the scene to try to identify those responsible and remove them from this community. I thank those who have already come forward to support the police investigation, but I have no doubt that there are others who may know something about this incident or other similar incidents.

The only way to ensure that these people do not carry out further attacks is to put together evidence that will permit them to be arrested, charged and brought before a court.

If you know anything whatsoever that may help, you must give us this information. By not doing so we are hampered in our attempts to prevent the next indiscriminate and reckless attack.

We will continue to put in place overt and covert resources to deter and detect those who are determined to carry out attacks of this nature - but with your support we can do much more. Together we can make 2012 a memorable year for all the right reasons.