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.