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.

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.

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.