Letter: The PSNI is right to stop uniformed officers going on the Pride parade

A letter from Mr WJ Craig:
By Letters
Published 18th Jul 2023, 07:21 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2023, 07:29 BST
PSNI and Garda at a previous Pride in Belfast. The PSNI livery was changed for the annual event but it is important police don't take sides in something political like Pride Picture by Arthur Allison.PSNI and Garda at a previous Pride in Belfast. The PSNI livery was changed for the annual event but it is important police don't take sides in something political like Pride Picture by Arthur Allison.
PSNI and Garda at a previous Pride in Belfast. The PSNI livery was changed for the annual event but it is important police don't take sides in something political like Pride Picture by Arthur Allison.

The decision for the PSNI to withdraw uniformed officers from participating in Belfast Pride is to be welcomed.

I alluded to the difficulties associated to the participation of uniformed officers in my published letter in this paper last August which was titled ‘PSNI can find money from their overstretched budget to put Pride rainbow livery on vehicles – so why don’t they do this for other causes?’ (August 2, 2022, see link below).

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These difficulties included livery being changed to suit the occasion at a large cost to the force when this was not done for other events. I also said that it was important that the police were not taking sides in a political argument of which Pride by its nature is. It is a protest and by participating in that very protest they were alienating other communities.

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Only this month we saw the Chief Constable Simon Byrne inform the policing board meeting held just before the Twelfth holidays that this year’s PSNI budget is reduced by 1.7% and that serious cuts will have to be implemented. Let’s hope on the backdrop of that announcement that there will be no more money wasted on updating livery unnecessarily this year and that the money would perhaps go into neighbourhood policing where it would be more beneficial.

I’ve said it before I’m all for people having their day to celebrate their culture and I hope that all concerned with the parade in Belfast to mark Pride this year have an enjoyable day but it is important that the PSNI as a force is impartial and indeed credible and that they don’t become embroiled in controversial events.

Mr W.J. Craig, Belfast BT5

PSNI can find money from their overstretched budget to put Pride rainbow livery on vehicles – so why don’t they do this for other causes?

Related topics:PrideSimon ByrneBelfast