PSNI response to South Belfast bonfire row has 'introduced grey area' - as force dodges question on upholding law
The PSNI has refused to answer questions about why its response to the row over a bonfire in South Belfast wasn’t to simply say it would enforce the rule of law – a decision which should have been “black and white” according to a TUV councillor.
On Wednesday, police announced they had received a request from Belfast City Council in relation to the removal of material from a bonfire site at Meridi Street after concerns about electricity infrastructure and asbestos nearby.
The PSNI said no decision had been taken as it was assessing “all of the risks associated with this request”.
Asked by the News Letter how how it is it not the duty of the PSNI to ensure that any contractor employed by the council to remove the bonfire are protected by the PSNI - and why it is raising doubts about whether or not it will uphold the rule of law, police declined to comment. Instead, they referred to Wednesday’s statement.
TUV councillor Ron McDowell says that while he disagrees with the council’s decision to remove the bonfire, the police response should have been “black and white” and said they had introduced a “grey area”.
Asked if the issue was not a straightforward as enforcing the law, Mr McDowell told the News Letter: “It should be that straightforward – that when a decision is made, that the police move in.
“There has been a legal determination that the fire should be lifted and the police should be moving in to lift the fire.
“Now, obviously I would discourage that, because I don't think it's the right decision. But as far as the police are concerned, it's a black and white issue, and the police have introduced an awful lot of grey area”.
He also said the police have “been caught between a rock and a hard place” by the council’s decision to invoke Civil Contingencies Act in relation to the decision – and said they should have been consulted at that stage.
The force’s community policing approach has often embroiled it in controversy, most notably over its handling of the Bobby Storey funeral. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) cited “prior engagement between Sinn Féin and the PSNI during funeral planning” as a reason it could not recommend prosecutions over breaches of Covid regulations.
After Belfast City Council’s decision to remove the interface bonfire, a PSNI spokesperson said it had “declared this as a major incident” and would engage “with multi-agency partners to ensure joint understanding” and “assess all of the risks associated with” the request.