PSNI – Page 5 – Slugger O'Toole

Chief Constable: “You can’t separate the counter-terrorism efforts from organised crime.”

Pete Baker on June 27, 2013, 4:24 pm

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The PSNI has already warned of the potential consequences of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s restricting of the activities of the UK’s new National Crime Agency here. Now, as the Belfast Telegraph reports, it’s the turn of the Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, to address the issue. Speaking at the launch of the Organised Crime Task Force’s (OCTF) annual report at Crumlin Road jail yesterday, Mr Baggott said any NCA work carried out in Northern Ireland would be done “with complete transparency”. And he warned …

G8 Summit: “Gardaí will place a particular emphasis on securing the Border…”

Pete Baker on June 6, 2013, 5:27 pm

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According to the Northern Ireland Finance Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, the NI Executive will face a bill of £6 million from the £60 million total cost of hosting the G8 Summit in Fermanagh on June 17th and 18th – the UK Treasury is expected to provide the rest of the funds required. But, as the Irish Times reports, the neighbouring state on the island is also making preparations. Some 900 gardaí will be in the region for the period covering the …

PSNI: “if the NCA is unable to operate fully in Northern Ireland, this will have a detrimental impact on our ability to keep people safe”

Pete Baker on May 15, 2013, 6:15 pm

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With continued political deadlock here over the new UK National Crime Agency (NCA) the PSNI have issued a statement warning of potential problems ahead, and proposing a suggested solution to complaints about accountability. From the PSNI statement Criminality has no respect for boundaries. It is therefore vitally important that the PSNI can access both the international reach which the NCA will provide and the ability to draw down on the expertise that the agency will offer. This expertise will include: …

Matt Baggott on flag protests, Boston tapes, G8 summit, drones & social media

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 23, 2013, 9:00 am

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It’s all looking a bit fraught. We need a recovery plan. The words of the Chief Constable Matt Baggott describing the fortunes of his football club rather than the PSNI’s response to the flags crisis. Though the words must echo what went through the PSNI senior officers’ minds when the flags crisis didn’t abate before Christmas. Monday’s post covered PSNI transformation, regulation and vocation. Remember that blogs aren’t newspapers, so not every post has to try to make a news …

Interview with Matt Baggott: his view on PSNI transformation, confidence in policing, over-regulation, vocation & faith

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 22, 2013, 9:00 am

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We usually hear public figures speaking in sound bites. At most ten minute interviews about some topic of the day. We rarely get to listen in as they explain what motivates them to do their job and reflect on their rationale or approach. The PSNI Chief Constable has been given advice on what he should do and how he should do it from before he arrived in Northern Ireland and it will no doubt continue until long after he has …

“Our job is to express the concerns as we hear them in the community…”

Pete Baker on March 4, 2013, 8:55 pm

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If it’s not Sinn Féin complaining about ‘political policing’, it’s the DUP. Mr Robinson said that trust needed to be rebuilt. “It’s important that the police gain the confidence of the unionist community, or regain the confidence of that section of the unionist community who have lost confidence in the police, by showing that his actions were entirely even-handed,” Mr Robinson said. “Our job is to express the concerns as we hear them in the community. [Good to see both parties are still …

“after some people made it clear they were not prepared to make witness statements to investigating officers”

Pete Baker on February 15, 2013, 1:03 am

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An Irish Times hosted PA report adds some interesting detail to the story of the arrest, questioning, and subsequent unconditional release – after being in custody for 36 hours – of Shankill bomber Sean Kelly following the apparent punishment shooting of an 18-year-old in Ardoyne. From the Irish Times report It is understood detectives had been granted an extension to keep [Sean Kelly] in custody for a further period, but then released him after some people made it clear they were not prepared …

Will unionism’s long 2012 be seen as the year when the wave broke?

John Ó Néill on February 1, 2013, 10:37 am

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With the #flegs protests seemingly diminishing, it seems like a good time to wrap up where 2012 has brought unionism, although it can be pretty much summed up in one word – crisis. It was a year in which there were early signs of modest progress visible to DUP leader Peter Robinson in March and by November he felt confident to proclaim that the constitutional debate had been won. And remember, in 2012 we were told repeatedly how ‘Catholics’ were being taken within, and reciprocating, the embrace of unionist outreach. Looking past the rhetoric, …

Caption Competition

Brian Spencer on January 8, 2013, 3:21 pm

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Your captions please! Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

PSNI needs recruitment drives says Terry Spence

Brian Spencer on January 7, 2013, 1:27 am

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Terry Spence was featured on Radio 4’s Saturday PM news show and he aired some serious concerns about the ability of the Police Service of Northern to hold the peace in the context of continuing violence. His concerns were not about the manner in which the police have been confronting the rising violence, but about the ability of the police going forward in terms of numbers and resources to deal with the growing two-pronged threat profile. He noted that over …

Matt Baggott: “we will deal firmly with outbreaks of violence…”

Pete Baker on January 7, 2013, 12:09 am

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The BBC report on the continuing violence in Belfast now has quotes from the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott [Is he back from his holidays? – Ed] “I want to commend the tireless courage of my officers at this very difficult time,” Chief Constable Matt Baggott said. “You may be assured there will be sufficient resources in the event of more disorder for however long is necessary. “The police service will continue to do everything possible to maintain law and …

PSNI officer’s car targeted with ‘viable device’ in East Belfast

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 30, 2012, 11:43 pm

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Dissidents are believed to have again targeted the car of a PSNI officer living close to police headquarters. [BBC] The unexploded device was discovered on the Upper Newtownards Road at about 14:00 GMT on Sunday. A controlled explosion was heard across East Belfast this evening. Police and politicians have condemned the attempted murder of the officer and his family who were about to travel with him. Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre …

The PSNI investigation into Bloody Sunday is mistaken. Try them for perjury

Brian Walker on December 21, 2012, 11:16 pm

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Many people will say that if ever there was a suitable case for prosecution, it’s Bloody Sunday when paratroop soldiers shot 14 people before the eyes of many of us around at time. But challenged on whether I approve of the opening of a police inquiry into Bloody Sunday that will take four years , I’ve decided to come clean and say I think it’s fundamentally mistaken. How disillusioning is this development for the many who deceived themselves when they thought closure had been …

After “closure,” the reopening of Bloody Sunday for at least four more years

Brian Walker on December 20, 2012, 9:29 pm

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In a statement, police said that for the investigation to be as “comprehensive and effective” as possible, they would be asking witnesses who gave evidence to the Saville inquiry to make statements to detectives. “This is because police are precluded from using Saville testimony in a criminal investigation. Details on how this process will be facilitated will be made available in the near future,” the statement said Press Release from Madden & Finucane Solicitors regarding Bloody Sunday Inquiry Report …

Two men arrested after Bangor shooting of off duty PSNI officer

Mick Fealty on December 20, 2012, 2:20 pm

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Twitter was thrown into confusion last night, when a Catholic off duty policeman was grazed in a shooting last night. First reports said he’d been shot, later that he wasn’t injured. Henry McDonald reports: The officer was grazed by bullets when two men opened fire on him in the area but it is understood he was not harmed. Two men, aged 45 and 60, were later arrested near the scene of the shooting. The republican alliance known as the new …

PUP conference – Irish language, welfare reform, parading, Matt Baggott and the leader’s speech

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 13, 2012, 10:04 pm

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Billy Hutchinson - newly elected as PUP leader

Today was Billy Hutchinson’s second conference as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party. His taking over the reins last year was seen as a last gasp attempt to keep the party open for business. The number of people attending the conference was up this year: I’d estimate a hundred people were in the Ramada Encore room, though not all had yet paid their party dues. The PUP seeks to give working class loyalists a voice. The big question for the …

PSNI: “The time for posturing on this issue… is now passed.”

Pete Baker on September 4, 2012, 3:33 pm

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After two nights of violence on the streets of north Belfast, during which over 60 officers were injured, 6 baton rounds fired, and 8 arrests made, the PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr has issued a challenge to politicians. From the Irish Times report Police said the trouble was started by loyalists and that nationalists were also involved. Mr Kerr acknowledged that the trouble has raised concerns about whether a massive Orange Order parade on September 29th will pass off …

“The PSNI said it was the council who had removed the debris, “after consultation with the local community”.”

Pete Baker on July 23, 2012, 4:59 pm

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Three nights of disturbances in the Galliagh area of Londonderry, including an arson attack on a electricity sub-station, during which police have been attacked with petrol bombs and other items, have been blamed on a “hardcore” element by the PSNI. A “youth worker” in the same BBC report concurs Mr Connolly said: “It’s clearly been totally anti-social vandalism – no motive behind it all all – and people can use the excuse of a bonfire but it’s got nothing to do with a …

Parading issues require real political solutions not just an ad hoc sticking plaster…

Mick Fealty on July 11, 2012, 12:51 pm

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So it’s the eleventh of July. And nearly all politician of all political stripes are making hay over who’s to blame for any impending trouble in Ardoyne (in the last few years the rioters have been nationalist, and they’ve not waited for those Orange feet to come anywhere near before venting their hatred for ‘the other tradition’. But the Belfast Telegraph print edition, there’s a timely editorial that notes that that for all the Morcombe and Wise performance of blissful …

Boston College: “No pledge of privacy nor oath of secrecy can avail against demand for the truth in a court of justice.”

Pete Baker on July 7, 2012, 2:14 pm

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The Boston Globe reports on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruling in the PSNI/HET’s attempt to access some of the material in the Boston College Belfast Project archive. The project director, Ed Moloney, and researcher Anthony McIntyre had been trying to head the US Government off at the pass. And they’ve already opened another legal front… From the Boston Globe report A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s ruling ordering Boston College to turn over confidential materials …