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01/10/2009
New Powers Will Tackle Minor Crimes
New police powers will cut down on the number of cases handled by the Northern Ireland courts, it has been claimed.
Revised legislation is set to give officers the right to issue more on-the-spot fines and cautions for minor offences.
It is believed the move will reduce the amount of paperwork constables have to produce.
Currently officers must create a prosecution file for every crime they deal with.
This can mean police become tied up behind station desks, time that many believe could be better spent 'on the beat'.
Greater powers for dealing with low level crime are already available to other UK forces.
Senior PSNI commanders have been calling on the Government to provide a similar system in Northern Ireland.
It is believed the NIO and PSNI have now reached agreement on the matter, and that an official announcement will be made soon.
SDLP Policing Board member Alex Attwood welcomed the decision, but insisted the new powers must be executed fairly and proportionately.
"It can be a quicker way of administering appropriate penalties rather than having the high administration of preparing a file, which too often goes nowhere. It may see more officers on the ground rather than behind desks.
"However, the SDLP will tread cautiously because past reforms of policing require further consideration on the ability of the police to act because of concerns in the past," he said.
Mr Attwood said these changes do little to "solve the weaknesses" in how the prosecution and the police handle far too many cases.
"Indeed, the SDLP believes there will be further evidence in the near future that will confirm that the system’s not working the way it should," he added.
(PR/KMcA)
Revised legislation is set to give officers the right to issue more on-the-spot fines and cautions for minor offences.
It is believed the move will reduce the amount of paperwork constables have to produce.
Currently officers must create a prosecution file for every crime they deal with.
This can mean police become tied up behind station desks, time that many believe could be better spent 'on the beat'.
Greater powers for dealing with low level crime are already available to other UK forces.
Senior PSNI commanders have been calling on the Government to provide a similar system in Northern Ireland.
It is believed the NIO and PSNI have now reached agreement on the matter, and that an official announcement will be made soon.
SDLP Policing Board member Alex Attwood welcomed the decision, but insisted the new powers must be executed fairly and proportionately.
"It can be a quicker way of administering appropriate penalties rather than having the high administration of preparing a file, which too often goes nowhere. It may see more officers on the ground rather than behind desks.
"However, the SDLP will tread cautiously because past reforms of policing require further consideration on the ability of the police to act because of concerns in the past," he said.
Mr Attwood said these changes do little to "solve the weaknesses" in how the prosecution and the police handle far too many cases.
"Indeed, the SDLP believes there will be further evidence in the near future that will confirm that the system’s not working the way it should," he added.
(PR/KMcA)
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