PSNI challenges paper's view on public confidence
Your Morning View editorial of July 7 entitled 'Confidence in policing at low ebb' cannot go unchallenged.
That assertion is simply not true. You may consider it a responsible position to dismiss completely independent surveys of the people of Northern Ireland carried out on behalf of the Policing Board. We do not. Indeed, we would accord greater respect to the people we serve for their ability to express their own views in a scientifically-based and monitored survey than you would seem to do.
The last Omnibus survey, commissioned by the Policing Board and published last week shows that 87 per cent of people who responded said they have some, a lot or total confidence in the Police Service's ability to provide day-to-day policing to everyone in Northern Ireland.
Without any basis in fact or supporting evidence whatsoever you assert: "...but the truth is that there are a huge number of people in Northern Ireland who now believe we now get a second rate police service". That is nothing short of an insult to the police officers and police staff who on a daily basis step out onto the front line to protect people and strive to make our whole country a safer place for everyone.
You refer to the 'Patten Report'. That was published 10 years ago and since we have seen the continued development of policing here built on the courage, sacrifice and professionalism of the past.
You also state that the public wants a police service with proper resources. We all want that. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is well resourced. But the reality is that policing in Northern Ireland costs the public purse 1.2 billion a year.
Of course that puts a responsibility on those of us charged to lead and manage that budget that we do it in the most effective and value for money way that makes sure that we use our trained and warranted officers in the best way to deliver community and public safety and crime prevention and detection. We can always seek better ways to do that.
Your paper built its editorial around the police response to the theft of a cash machine in Newtownbutler.
We are looking at that as we always do. Chief Superintendent Michael Skuce, the commander in F District, has expressed his personal frustration and the frustration of his officers that the significant threat from dissident republicans in that area, as well as in other parts of Northern Ireland, may in the short term influence the style of service we deliver. But deliver a service we will.
However, we have a basic, simple premise. That is officer safety. We have no intention of knowingly putting officers at unnecessarily risk. Sadly the job of a police officer protecting society from itself will always carry risk even if there was no terrorist threat. My job and the job of commanders is to manage those risks.
Of course that has to be balanced against the service that people want and deserve. I believe that the vast majority of people, although some may be frustrated, understand that balance and support the police.
You talk about days in the past when policing had to be supported by huge numbers of soldiers. I'm sure that you are not advocating a return to that. We are certainly not going there. Those of us who served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary will also clearly remember delaying our response to calls in certain areas because of the terrorist threat. We hoped we had left those days behind. But a small number of people seem determined to drag us back.
A mature and democratic society should be able to deal with a terrorist threat from within its own resources; through isolation of the small number of criminal terrorists who are the cause of the problems and through active support of policing and police investigations.
We know that confidence in policing is hard won. It is also hard to keep.
As a Police Service we are determined to keep that confidence and build on it. That may be difficult in some areas in the current circumstances. But it doesn't lessen that determination. Perhaps the public of Northern Ireland would be better served by a more balanced, thoughtful editorial which accurately reflects the facts.
Judith Gillespie,
Deputy Chief Constable
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South west
