Policing Board Launch 7th Annual Human Rights Report

I am delighted to be in Derry/Londonderry this morning for the launch of the Policing Boards 7th Human Rights Report 2011.

It is entirely appropriate that the Board should choose to launch such an important report in this City. There has been so much progress in the last number of years to ensure that Human Rights compliant policing is delivered and in my view the Human Rights Act was one of the best things that could have happened to policing in Northern Ireland providing a clear framework for difficult and challenging decisions.

I am pleased that the Board have recognised the impressive implementation record of the 176 recommendations, from the six previous Human Rights reports since 2005, and our ongoing commitment to ensure that a Human Rights culture exists within the organisation.

This Human Rights report makes 16 recommendations relating to training, policy on the storage and retention of DNA and photographs, trends and patterns of complaints, public order policing, use of force, covert policing, victims, treatment of suspects and young people. Over the next few months we will be developing a programme of action to respond to these recommendations. This plan will be overseen and progress monitored by the Board's Human Rights Legal Advisor.

I am also pleased to see the acknowledgement in the report about how the Police Service has fully co-operated and assisted the Board's Human Rights Legal Advisor to provide the necessary level of reassurance that the PSNI is fully compliant with their legal requirements in the very difficult and sensitive area of covert policing. This is an area where for very good reasons we cannot say a lot publicly but the scrutiny of the Board and other organisations, such as the Surveillance Commissioner, should provide communities with a level of reassurance in this often very controversial area.

These reports are also supported by a number of Thematic Reviews during the year. These reviews are important and provide your Police Service with an opportunity to show in detail the work which is being undertaken in important areas such as policing domestic abuse, the use to stop and search powers, children and young people and the forthcoming policing with and for the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender people.

I very much look forward to working closely with the Board in the coming year as we work to consider their recommendations in full in support of the delivery of personal, professional and protective policing to all the people of Northern Ireland.