Have a Happy New Year but Get Home Safe

As 2012 approaches no doubt many of you will be planning to head out and spend time with friends and family to see in the New Year.

As you make your plans, please think about where you will be going, who you will be with and most importantly, how you intend to get home.

New Years Eve can be one of the busiest nights of the year when thousands of people will be out and about. If you do not plan your journey home and leave arrangements to chance, it could be a very bad ending to a great night out.

When you are out please drink responsibly and don’t separate from your friends. Isolated people can be more vulnerable, especially when they have consumed alcohol and they can easily become the victim of anti-social behaviour or crime.

Your Police Service want you to be safe and enjoy the vibrant night-time economy and the fantastic range of venues for all to enjoy.

When you are out remember to:

• plan your journey home in advance


• drink responsibly


• don’t walk through areas you are unsure of


• stay in well-lit areas


• stick with your friends


• never accept a drink from someone you don’t know


• always have enough money to get yourself home.

Have a great New Year, plan early and most importantly 'Get Home Safe'.

Supporting Victims of Domestic Abuse this Christmas

Hopefully, like me, you’re looking forward to the opportunity of relaxing for a few days in the company of family and friends over the Christmas period.

Sadly however there are those for whom Christmas 2011 is a time they will want to forget.

If you've been tuning into the local news over the past few days you will no doubt have heard that the PSNI is receiving an increasing number of reports in relation to domestic abuse. Already this year we have received an 500 additional reports.

We want to encourage victims, men and women, of domestic abuse to report to police and therefore we welcome a rise in reports, although we know that many more incidents still go unreported.

Traditionally, reported domestic abuse increases over the Christmas period and I would want to reassure victims that if they take the courageous step of coming forward they will be supported, receive specialist help and advice and that where possible positive action will be taken against the perpetrator.

If you are a victim of domestic abuse, please do not suffer in silence - especially at this Christmas time. The longer you leave it the worse the abuse is likely to get. We can and will help you.

If you feel you cannot report directly to us, then you can call the Domestic Abuse helpline on 0800 917 1414. Over the Christmas period our partners in the voluntary sector will like us be working round the clock to keep victims safe and supported. I pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of our partner agencies during this holiday season.

Please help us, and all those who work in this really important area, to help you have a happier Christmas.

The future of our Police Estate

I listened intently as the Justice Minster recently announced that he was undertaking a review of the Court Service Estate, with the potential for a number of Court House closures.

You will no doubt have heard or seen reports in the media over the past few weeks that we have been briefing the Policing Board on our Estate Strategy. Like the Court Service, we must rationalise our estate in order to support the delivery of efficiencies.

Over this four year Comprehensive Spending Review period, the Police Service of Northern Ireland must realise £135 million in savings. This is not about closing stations simply to save money, but to rationalise the police estate to ensure that we have fit for purpose police stations in the right locations.

This goal is further being realised with the building of two new stations in Ballymoney and Downpatrick, the planned build of the Joint Services College in Desertcreat, Cookstown, and the recent opening of the brand new 'state of the art' Musgrave station in Belfast City Centre.

We currently have 83 police premises, 34 of which are on a review list for consideration of closure. Our police estate is 70% greater than other UK police services of a comparable size.

I know from my conversations with many members of rural communities that there is something symbolic about having a police station in their town or village, but it is important to understand that many of these stations average less than one caller daily, with the majority of people increasingly contacting police by phone, through our website, or interacting with us using social media.

Policing has always been a 'people' business, delivered by police officers and staff rather than by buildings. It is therefore so important that police officers go to where people are, rather than waiting for people to come to us, often in buildings that are no longer fit for purpose or in the right places.

It is important that I reassure those of you who remain unconvinced that the closure of a police building does not in any way reduce the police presence in an area. Dedicated neighbourhood and response policing teams, equipped with Blackberry mobile technology, mean that officers no longer have to continually return to police stations to update records, and this allows them to remain on patrol in local areas for longer.

Our ultimate goal is that once officers have reported for duty and then leave the station to patrol their area of responsibility, that they remain in that patrol area for as long as possible - even availing of their meal break in a local cafe or restaurant.

We will of course be speaking to local communities and taking on board your views before we make any definite decisions, so I encourage you to engage with us in this process and make your views known.

Be safe this Christmas

Over the past few weeks I have been appalled by the number of rapes and sexual assaults which have been reported to police.

Having worked in the past in the area of rape investigation, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact that these horrendous crimes can have on men and women.

The actual number of rapes and sexual assaults are very low, however it is essential that we do everything we possibly can to keep you keep safe and give you the best possible advice to protect yourself.

Over the past few months we have been planning, a series of Police operations, designed to help keep you keep safe. Your police service will be prioritising patrols to protect people as they are out socialising across Northern Ireland.

Police will do as much as possible, but you can help us protect you, by taking the following simple safety steps:

• If you are going to drink alcohol, drink responsibly.


• Don’t become separated from your friends.


• Don’t accept a drink from someone you don't know .


• Carry a personal attack alarm - you can buy one from you local DIY store for a few pounds or speak to your local PSNI Crime Prevention officer.


• Don’t draw attention to yourself - keep valuables close to you or hidden from sight


• Plan your journey home in advance by booking a taxi or arranging a lift – make sure your taxi driver and vehicle are displaying the approved signs/identification. If in doubt do not get in


• Stay in well lit, familiar and busy areas.


• If you think you are being followed make your way to the nearest busy and well lit area and call the police on 999.


• Always make sure you have enough money to get yourself home.

Together we can ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

New Conversations about Policing

Today and tomorrow at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, the Chief Constable, Policing Board Chair and the University will host a 10th anniversary conference entitled 'Challenge and Change - A new conversation for Policing in Northern Ireland'.

I am very grateful to the University for hosting the conference at its Jordanstown campus but of course the University of Ulster has a long association with the PSNI having been involved in accrediting the training for PSNI student officers over the past decade. This has proven to have been a very worthwhile partnership and has considerably improved and enhanced the training delivered to new officers.

Whilst it is good to reflect on where we have come from, our intention is to deliberately not dwell on the past, but to focus on having those 'new conversations' about policing that will drive us forward into the next ten years.

Whilst there are a number of speakers including Minister of Justice, David Ford, , Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Dennis O'Connor, and Minister for Finance and Personnel, Sammy Wilson, the majority of the time will be spent engaging with delegates in parallel sessions. This is without doubt the most important part of the conference - hearing and discussing first hand from those living and working in communities and having those 'new conversations' which will help us to look forward.

Already this morning we have heard about the concerns of older people who have been or are afraid of becoming victims of crime, how young people feel demonised not just by the police but by society in general and how the Human Rights Act has shaped the policing of today.

This afternoon and tomorrow we will have the opportunity in the parallel sessions to discuss and listen on a range of important issues such as Organised Crime, Future of the Criminal Justice system, Economy and Policing, legacy, victims and early intervention.

I look forward to some interesting and challenging conversations over the next few days.

If you are interested in following the events at Jordanstown I encourage you to follow the conference on Twitter at #changeandchallenge.

A President to remember

As the Republic of Ireland prepares to inaugurate its ninth Irish President, Michael D Higgins, I wanted to pay my own personal tribute to the outgoing President, Mary McAleese.

There are very few people across Northern Ireland who could not have been touched in some way by Mrs McAleese's presidency. She knew exactly how important the role of policing was and was a true friend to both the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross and Police Service of Northern Ireland.

When I had the privilege to attend a reception hosted by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in honour of the President a few weeks ago, she was careful to specifically thank the officers of the Police Service past and present, who provided her with close protection as she conducted her various visits across the whole of Northern Ireland. She knew exactly how difficult it was to strike the balance between visible security and protection.

When officers were murdered, died in the course of duty or were injured as a result of terrorist attacks, the President was always one of the first people to call the Chief Constable to offer condolences or pass on her best wishes. When she attended the graduation of new PSNI officers in July this year, she talked about our murdered colleague Constable Ronan Kerr and referred to him as a "modern day hero" - a term that has stuck very clearly in my mind and one that the Chief Constable refers to often.

Her interest in and support for my work as lead in the PSNI Gender Action Plan was greatly appreciated by female officers and staff across PSNI. She was a champion of equality and I know that my colleagues were inspired by her when she opened our inaugural Cross Border Women in Policing Event, and later when she invited a group of female PSNI and An Garda Síochána officers and staff to her Presidential home at Aras an Uachtarain.

She had the gift of gracious hospitality and no matter who you were, she made you feel appreciated and special in your own right. I take this opportunity on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to sincerely wish the new President, Michael D Higgins every success in his new role. His predecessor's Presidency has witnessed so many historic events - some very poignant and others truly remarkable.

It is my hope that President McAleese's lasting legacy will be one of respect, harmony, equality and a truly shared future for all of the people of this island.

Ten years of PSNI: Reflecting on our past and looking to the future

As I reflect on our ten year Anniversary, it is with mixed emotions that I consider the achievements of the last decade, and the impact that the Police Service of Northern Ireland has had on the history and peace of this island.

Sadness, at the loss of colleagues' lives during that time - a sadness that echoes pain of the past that we had all hoped to put behind us. Sadness at the serious injuries inflicted by terrorists that colleagues still live with daily. And sadness at the tragic loss of colleagues through road traffic collisions whilst on duty serving the entire community.

Pride, in the dignity, professionalism and resolve with which police officers and staff have embraced and driven the seismic change that policing has experienced, and pride that it was that dignity and resolve that helped lay the foundations for political progress.

Amazement, at the scale of the change that has been achieved whilst we continue to deliver outstanding performance - crime is at its lowest for many years, detections are higher than for many years, injury road traffic collisions are at their lowest for decades, and confidence in PSNI is growing.

Respect, for those colleagues past and present who have led change in some of the most challenging policing areas in the world - in particular delivering policing with the community in the absence of routine Military support.

Frustration, that a continuing terrorist threat holds us back in some areas from delivering the style of policing that we all aspire to, and that often we cannot speak publicly about the job we do for fear of being singled out for attack by terrorists.

Confidence, in the professionalism of the people who belong to your Police Service - police and staff at all levels - who seek to serve all communities in accordance with the spirit of our PSNI Attestation: faithfully discharging our duties with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all individuals and their traditions and beliefs.

Recognition, that there is still some way to go in building full community trust, confidence and support, but acknowledgment of how far we have come in the last ten years.

Passion, that over the last ten years we have absolutely been doing the right things, we are really making a difference in people’s lives, keeping the most vulnerable safe and tackling really serious emerging crimes like Human Trafficking and e-crime.

But most of all hope, for the future, in the new context of Devolution of Policing and Justice and a more stable political foundation which we have all helped to create and on which we can all build for a brighter future.

Here’s to the next ten years and beyond – and to continuing to deliver personal, professional, protective policing, come what may.