Former PSNI officer hits out at proposals from Justice Minister Naomi Long for 'parking ticket' style fines for assaults on police
A former senior PSNI officer has hit back at proposals by the Justice Minister to bypass court prosecutions and hand down "parking ticket” style fines for assaults on police or violent attacks on the public.
Jon Burrows, a former head of the PSNI discipline department, was speaking after Minister Naomi Long published a public consultation on whether the PSNI and Public Prosecution Service should be given expanded powers to deal with a range of offences outside the traditional court process.
She said that the criminal justice system is under pressure with "significant backlogs" in courts.
Dealing with cases more quickly through out-of-court disposals, where appropriate, are "well recognised and can deliver swift and effective justice which can help to deter future offending," she said.
"This isn’t about letting offenders off the hook, but delivering punishments in the most appropriate way and maximising court capacity to deal with the most serious cases quicker,” she added.
Ms Long is proposing penalty notice options for offences such as Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (AoABH), Assault on Police and Common Assault.
Other offences in the consultation include non-dwelling burglaries, handling or receiving stolen goods, going equipped for theft, riotous behaviour, aggravated trespass as well as some motoring, drugs, alcohol licensing and fraud offences, organising unlawful parades and some offences at regulated sports matches.
However Mr Burrows said it is vital that deterrents remain to counter assaults on police officers and the public.
"Dealing with very minor offences swiftly can be beneficial for everyone and create more time for the police to investigate serious crime and be on patrol," he said.
"However, it is important that proper proportionality is maintained. Crimes like assaulting a police officer or assault occasioning actual bodily harm are in my view not appropriate for Penalty Notices for Disorder - which are like speeding tickets.
"There must be a proper deterrent to assaulting a police officer. Giving a ticket to someone who does so sends the opposite message that is required now when such assaults are prevalent.
"Likewise AoABH is much more serious than common assault and includes things like breaking broken limbs or knocking someone’s tooth out.
"Penalty Notices for Disorder have their place in policing – but not for offences such as assaulting our police officers or causing injury to citizens."
Liam Kelly, Chair, Police Federation for Northern Ireland also raised serious concerns about the matter.
“Anything that lessens the seriousness of an assault on a police officer will be hotly disputed,” he told the News Letter.
"We have been asked by DOJ if we wish to comment as part of the public consultation.
"We will study the measures that are set out by the Department and intend to make formal response.
"An attack on an officer deserves the full weight of the law and should, in no way, be minimised or trivialised. This would be wholly counter-productive and wrong."