DUP expresses anger and disappointment after Policing Board meeting

 

Speaking today the DUP Members of the Policing Board Peter Weir MLA, Ian Paisley Junior MLA, Jimmy Spratt MLA and Tom Buchanan MLA, expressed their anger and disappointment at the wasted opportunity on the part of the PSNI to provide not only the Board, but the local communities who are directly affected by the closure of these stations, with concrete policing alternatives. The DUP Board members said, 

“Whilst we acknowledge the rationale behind the station reviews and the need for efficient use of resources, the decisions taken by the Board and specifically the PSNI, allows frontline policing to be a casualty of budgetary shortfalls. 

We strongly believe that the PSNI failed to be in a position from which to demonstrate more clearly, detailed, suitable and appropriate proposals for policing these areas affected by the closures.  A visible and accessible policing service is essential to build public confidence in policing.  Surely the lack of clarity in these proposals, which has been rewarded here today, will neither enhance engagements with the community nor improve effectiveness on the ground. 

As a Party we strongly believed that any alternative policing arrangements should not only have been in place and working successfully, but ensure that they were sustainable in the future.  Surely, anything less will only be a retrograde step for policing in these communities. 

The DUP is committed to ensuring that the best possible policing service is delivered right across the community, and in making decisions around the future of the police estate we needed to be satisfied that the strategy presented a clear and sustainable vision for the future.  Needless to say we remain unconvinced and today the PSNI did little to improve that situation. 

While we are deeply disappointed with the overall result today we did at least succeed in forcing the PSNI to bring back detailed proposals in September on how they intend to allocate the £1.8 million in revenue spending and the £5.5 million in capital that should be realised from these sales.  Consequently, we will be holding the PSNI to account over their failure to provide more detailed plans on alternative policing arrangements and we will be scrutinising just how they revenue accrued from the sale of these stations will be invested back into the area by putting more officers back on the beat, and by providing alternative police offices in the areas affected.”