PSNI – Page 8 – Slugger O'Toole

“Now he must tell the dissidents that he was in the wrong, too”

Pete Baker on April 10, 2011, 2:53 pm

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With the PSNI setting up a specialist team of detectives to examine “specific crimes”, “dating back to the 1980s and 1990s”, which they believe “may have involved present-day dissidents”, Malachi O’Doherty has some timely advice for Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness et al. From the Belfast Telegraph article History is letting the Provos off lightly in not plunging them into their own civil war. On balance, McGuinness must surely see that this is not as hard as facing into failure would be. …

Bombscare: public in danger as PSNI deploy cones and withdraw to safety

Blank on April 8, 2011, 7:14 pm

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Covering a bomb scare in Newry, Good Morning Ulster’s Conor MacAuley reported what he found at the scene: There are road closed signs up, there are cones, some signs and lights, but I can’t see any police presence at the moment” “I have seen dozens of cars driving past this morning, some of them with small children in the back of their cars doing the school run. People obviously don’t realise the potential danger they are in [added emphasis …

“somehow it still fails to address or secure the foundations of a quite different future…”

Pete Baker on April 4, 2011, 10:32 pm

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Despite the statements by the ‘great and the good’, as the BBC reports Police officers have come under petrol bomb attack during disturbances in Lurgan, County Armagh. The police said there were also reports of a firearm being seen during trouble in the Bell’s Row area of the town. Several attempts were made to hijack cars and one hijacked vehicle was later recovered. The officers were attacked while carrying out searches in relation to a hoax object in Victoria Street. …

Killing unifies both Catholic and Protestant opinion

Mick Fealty on April 4, 2011, 7:39 pm

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One of things you learn growing up in the Troubles is that you cannot negotiate with a man with gun or a block of Semtex (more commonly gelignite in the early days) in hand. One to one, he wins every time. As Brian argues, physical force is its own argument. Tragic though it is, the effect of the killing of Constable Kerr appears to be stiffening the resolve of the Stormont parties not to show a millimetre of space between …

“Redoubling your effort, when you have forgotten your aim”

Mick Fealty on April 4, 2011, 8:54 am

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Brian Feeney in the Irish News this morning uses a couple of quotes from George Santayana to point to the essentially apolitical nature of the recent attacks by so called ‘dissident’ Republican paramilitary organisations: “Don’t call them mindless. They are devious and dangerous, armed and ruthless. They are unable to articulate a political purpose. They have forgotten, if they ever knew, the original aims of republicanism where militarism was a tactic, not a principle. “These groups see violence as an …

The response to Con. Kerr’s murder must be measured yet decisive

Turgon on April 3, 2011, 11:27 am

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So we have another murder of a police officer here in Northern Ireland: Ronan Kerr’s name is added to the list of people killed, not taking part in military activities, for police officers are assuredly civilians, not soldiers; but in his case it seems getting into his own private car. In a time of supposed peace, a young man involved in a peaceful occupation, who was not even working was treated as that most appalling and indeed perverse of euphemisms …

“We don’t approve of young children engaging in this type of activity…”

Pete Baker on March 30, 2011, 8:43 pm

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The Belfast Telegraph has an update from the Ti Chulainn Cultural Centre in Mullaghbawn, south Armagh – where children, some of primary school age, were photographed in October wearing balaclavas, combat jackets and trousers, dark glasses and berets, and brandishing replica weapons including AK47s and Armalites. From the Belfast Telegraph update The Ti Chulainn centre in south Armagh has said that children dressed up as paramilitaries armed with replica weapons on its premises hadn’t “been part of an organised event” in the …

‘Temporary’ 50:50 recruitment provisions of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 to End

Pete Baker on March 22, 2011, 4:58 pm

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It shouldn’t have come as a surprise… As the BBC reports, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, published the Government’s response [pdf file] to the public consultation on the temporary 50:50 recruitment provisions of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. From Owen Paterson’s statement Owen Paterson said: “Some ten years after the introduction of the provisions, a significant proportion of serving officers – currently 29.76% – are now from a Catholic community background. This is at the top …

Is it time to end 50/50 recruitment to the PSNI?

Mick Fealty on March 14, 2011, 12:39 pm

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Great to see an important discussion on last Thursday’s Hearts and Minds being led by two woman, Dr Mary Gethins author of a new book on experiences of Catholics within the police in Northern Ireland, and Rev Leslie Carroll from the Presbyterian Church’s Church and Society Committee… Now the proportion of Catholics in the PSNI is at 30% (just three per cent short of Patten’s original target) is it time to end the positive discrimination in favour of Catholic recruitment? …

Ombudsman’s Report into McGurk’s Bar

Turgon on February 21, 2011, 9:20 pm

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The report into the McGurk’s bar bombing has finally come out. It did come out previously when Al Hutchinson published his report to a storm of protest from the families. Hutchinson then promptly withdrew the report though bizarrely denied it was embarrassing: “I wouldn’t say it’s an embarrassment, I take it as a learning opportunity – we must do better.” The new mark two report is now out (full report PDF here) and seems somewhat more to the families’ liking. …

End of history: Or how I learned to start worrying and forget about my bombs

Blank on January 27, 2011, 8:01 pm

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Carál Ní Chuilín, MLA and Gerry Kelly, MLA are both open and proud on their previous membership of a now defunct branch of Óglaigh na hÉireann. Both served prison sentences for bombing campaigns in areas mainly used by ‘civilians’ on behalf of that IRA. When the most recent in a long line of British ‘Chief Constables’ controlling policing in the north of Ireland needed a comparative for the recent extended disruption on the Antrim Road, he choose the Omagh bomb. …

“The board has failed the police in relation to this.”

Pete Baker on December 2, 2010, 6:27 pm

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After rejecting the PSNI Chief Constable’s preferred option of employing private security firms, by a “majority view”, members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board can’t have been too surprised by his announced intention to re-deploy 150 frontline officers to guard police stations in the face of the increased threat of attack by republican paramilitaries. And in related news, four men are being questioned after gardai intercepted a car containing a primed improvised mortar device near Dundalk, county Louth, on Tuesday evening. Gardai said they were …

Thoughts on Policing

Turgon on November 19, 2010, 8:36 pm

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The grenade attack on the police last week created considerable concern and then faded relatively quickly. Stephen Nolan was extremely exercised for a number of days and one senior police officer suggested that the “manner in which they do business” will change as a result. The problems for police dealing with terrorists was again highlighted with the suggestion that republican dissidents were willing to shoot at the (unarmed) Gardai. The problem for police forces dealing with terrorists is extremely complex …

One rule for ‘ussuns’, another rule for ‘themmuns’?

Blank on October 27, 2010, 7:28 pm

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As Martin McCauley and Stephen Barnes have noted on twitter – after 2 nights of rioting in Rathcoole the PSNI have yet to deploy a single Baton Round or roll out their water cannons. The petrol bombs, vehicle burnings and gunmen mingling within the rioters have been described as ‘different beasts’. Lucky old Rathcoole rioters. But will people in Ardoyne understand the softly, softly PSNI attitude to things just up the road when they got the iron fist? Blank

PSNI lobby for more than £200m of special funding from the Treasury reserve

Pete Baker on October 18, 2010, 6:23 pm

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The Irish government is commited to providing adequate resources to tackle the continuing republican paramilitary threat. The Garda Commissioner agrees with the assessment of the Home Secretary, Theresa May, that that threat has increased. And with the research telling us “that concepts of the renegade groups as something ‘other’ are too simplistic”, the BBC’s Vincent Kearney reports that the PSNI Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, has been lobbying for access to “more than £200m of special funding from the treasury reserve during the …

Garda Commissioner agrees with MI5 assessment

Pete Baker on September 28, 2010, 5:09 pm

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As RTÉ reports Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has said that he believes an attack by dissident republicans in Britain is a strong possibility. Commissioner Murphy said he agreed with the assessment of the British Home Secretary and the head of MI5 in the UK that the level of threat from dissident republicans was now moderate to substantial. He also said that while the intent has always been there, the capability within groups such as the Continuity IRA, the Real IRA …

RAADical reporting? Pinch of salt required?

Blank on September 15, 2010, 11:31 pm

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A pipebomb attack on a car in Strabane and the foolish heroism of a local man in dealing with the device has been widely reported. In recent coverage much of the MSM has dropped the term ‘community worker’ to describe him, he is now reported as a ‘taxi driver’ facing a death threat from a ‘criminal gang’ along with the intended target of the device (an alleged drug dealer he has no connection with, who has already left the country). …

Attempt to kill police has shock value/media spin applied?

Blank on September 10, 2010, 7:09 pm

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The pipebomb left at a primary school in Antrim met condemnation from essentially everywhere – those that left it have offered no explanation. That attack was followed a few days later by what the PSNI describe as a viable device being found in Crumlin. Much, if not all, of the media coverage and condemnation of this treated it as another attack directed at children. However, the police station, where the device was discovered isn’t a primary school – that is …

Ask the right question! Dealing with the PSNI

Blank on September 2, 2010, 9:11 pm

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Today the PSNI Chief Constable has been plastered across the media bemoaning costs associated to dealing with public disorder in the Ardoyne during July. He has been very forthcoming with the sums involved and what thay could have been spent on otherwise. However, I recently asked the PSNI several questions under FoI legisaltion in relation to 11th July bonfire incidents and they have refused to answer a single one on the basis the first question ‘ how many bonfire related …

PSNI’s media message/massage/pummelling

Blank on August 25, 2010, 7:39 pm

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Last week Rusty noted how journalist Eammon MacDermott had property confiscated by the PSNI as part of an investigation into armed republican activity in Derry. While some may think the fact he was an ex-prisoner could have influenced the PSNI reaction, British policing has a long history of heavy handedness when it comes to freedom of the press in Ireland. Back in 1999 Ed Moloney faced gaol over refusing to pass on interview notes with William Stobie. Moloney won the …