Policing in Extreme Conditions

This week has brought some of the most horrendous weather conditions for many people living across Northern Ireland. I certainly cannot ever remember experiencing as much snow in my lifetime. You couldn’t help but be moved by the accounts on our television screens of desperate farmers talking about being helpless to save the lives of many of their livestock. In this context, it is good to learn that the Executive has agreed a package to help those affected farmers.

I am also aware of many families who found themselves cut off and feeling very isolated with no electricity and dwindling food supplies. I want to pay tribute to everyone who worked around the clock and in the most extreme conditions to help those who found themselves in this very difficult position.

In particular, I want to acknowledge the work of my colleagues in our Search and Rescue Team and Air Support Unit. On Monday morning, I visited the operations room from where the multi agency response had been co-ordinated over the weekend. I heard of a number of examples where colleagues had used snow shoes to walk miles into snow bound areas, in the dark, to deliver critical food and medical supplies. Our Air Support Unit also delivered food and medical supplies, including oxygen to a gentleman who had almost run out, and air lifted a number of people from their homes to hospital for medical attention. And even just last night, members of the Services Search and Rescue Team were involved, along with North West Mountain Rescue and the Irish Army Air Corps and Irish Coastguard helicopters, in rescuing two young men who had got into difficultly whilst climbing in a gully on the Binevenagh Mountain near Limavady. Two members of the Team had to abseil down into the gully in heavy snow and ice to assist the men who were then airlifted by the Irish Air Corps to safety.  

I know too that many other statutory and voluntary agencies also helped to ensure that people were kept safe. The community spirit in areas was critical as people used diggers to help neighbours by clearing roads to those areas cut off by deep snow drifts.

In stark contrast, whilst we were helping communities deal with the extreme weather conditions, colleagues in Fermanagh were dealing with an abandoned car bomb near Derrylin. I utterly condemn those responsible and thank the local community for their support during the disruption which lasted a number of days. Those people who planned this attack have nothing to offer the people of Fermanagh or Northern Ireland and it would be our assessment that an increased security presence in the area has thwarted this reckless and deadly attack.

Policing has many challenges, and whether it is dealing with extreme weather conditions or acts of terror your Police Service will continue to do absolutely everything it can to ensure that we keep people safe, and deliver that personal, professional and protective policing service that our communities want and deserve.

Personal Policing

It’s been a busy week, but one of the things that makes a policing career so enjoyable, interesting and challenging is that no one week is ever the same.

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to visit Lisnaskea and patrol with members of the local Neighbourhood Policing Team.  Lisnaskea is a thriving rural town, albeit feeling the pinch like many other towns across Northern Ireland, but I was able to take the chance to speak with a number of the local business owners.   What always impresses me about rural towns is that there are always a few police officers who have been there for a very long time and know absolutely everyone and everyone knows them. This for me is exactly what good community policing is all about, long term relationships with local police officers known by name and who have a reputation for delivering a good policing service to the local community. I was also hearing about the very effective relationships on the ground with our colleagues in An Garda Síochána. This is very important given its close proximity to the border.

Yesterday morning I had the privilege of being invited to speak to the assembly at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, or Inst as most of us know it.  Over one thousand boys and staff gathered in their assembly hall. This was a great opportunity and I want to thank Janet Williamson, their principal, for the invitation. One of the strap lines I used in my address was ‘It’s the real thing’ and how life is not a dress rehearsal, you only get one chance and you need to make the best of it. Who knows I might even have been addressing a future Chief Constable!

I have also been dealing with the fallout of the errors made by the external Design Team in relation to the costings around the new NI Community Safety College at Desertcreat. As Chair of the Programme Board, I can assure you, the difficulties which we are currently working through with Health and Justice Departments and the three services (Police, Fire and Rescue and Prisons) are not show stoppers and whilst the opening of the College may now be delayed for a few months, into early 2016, it is very much still a reality.

Despite all the unique challenges the Police Service faces, our goal of delivering the finest personal, professional and protective service remains our priority. The events of last week, with the failed mortar attack on New Barnsley station, will not deflect us from this challenge.  Even this morning there is an ongoing security incident outside Enniskillen.  The vast majority of people support policing and with your support we can make communities better and safer. The mindless actions of those who totally disregard the safety of others must be frustrated, prevented and detected. The people who left the mortar bomb at New Barnsley have nothing positive to offer. There was absolutely no guarantee that the potentially deadly device would not miss its target and hit homes, schools or businesses in the nearby area.

With your help and support we will continue to work tirelessly to thwart acts of terror and criminality and continue to make your local community a better and safer place to live.

 

International Women's Day

This day has been observed since the early 1900's when there was great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world that saw population growth and a rise in radical ideologies.  Of course much has changed and on this day annually thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and to celebrate their achievements.  Indeed in my lifetime there have been significant 'firsts'; female astronauts, Prime Ministers, Chief Police Officers and others in senior positions in the public service.  There has also been new legislation and work place practices that support women to work and have a family, and enjoy greater career choices.

In recognition of this day, I am taking the opportunity to meet briefly this afternoon with a number of my female colleagues to hear more about their role and experiences within the Service.  Things are very different now to when I joined 31 years ago, and many of these women will also have seen a sea change in the opportunities available to women within the Police Service.

It is also difficult on such a day to not think about the violence and abuse suffered by women.  Sadly whilst the law affords females greater protection now than at probably any time before, violence against and the exploitation of women is still common place locally, nationally and internationally.

I was appalled to listen to the Prime Minister speak earlier this week about the risk to young women and girls in the United Kingdom from female genital mutilation.  It is estimated that worldwide 140 million women, most of them young girls, have experienced this barbaric and inhumane practice.  It is just unbelievable that in some countries this practice is actually legalised.  The UK government is hoping to reduce the practice by 30%, home and abroad, over the next five years and this is to be welcomed.  Whilst I am not aware of any identified cases of this nature within Northern Ireland, I have no doubt that it is a possibility.  The Police Service of Northern Ireland have officers who have been trained to deal with these hugely sensitive crimes and can support investigations and victims accordingly.

Recent successes in the fight against human traffickers in Northern Ireland are also to be welcomed.  I know that great efforts have been made by my colleagues in Crime Operations Department to make Northern Ireland a hostile place for these organised criminals.  In the past few years the Police Service of Northern Ireland has rescued over 80 victims of human trafficking.  This is an ever emerging issue which ultimately funds the activities of serious and organised crime gangs.  We constantly  look for signs of this activity as we go about our daily duties.

You may ask yourself as a concerned member of the public of Northern Ireland what can I do about these terrible crimes, and how can I assist and support the police?   We know that there are many people who see and hear things but for whatever reason just either don't want to get involved or do not know how to.

If you are concerned about a women or child, or indeed anyone, who may be suffering abuse of any sort or if you see any activity which appears suspicious, then you can assist us by bringing this to our attention.  We are very happy to follow up on information received and would much rather explore something and find that everything is alright than have someone get seriously hurt or worse, when this could have been prevented.

International Women's Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of women and girls, to ensure that they are protected and respected, and achieve their true potential in today's changing and challenging world.