Chief Constable criticised over NI crime increase

Northern Ireland Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde has today come under fire during a meeting with the new look Policing Board, for trying to spin his way out of a 4% rise in crime in the province.

The Chief Constable clashed with Policing Board member Ian Paisley Jnr after it emerged that there had been over 112,000 offences committed in Northern Ireland within the last 11 months.

Mr Paisley said: "What I'm detecting today is a good deal of spin. These figures aren't good enough and the public doesn't believe they are good enough."

The DUP member continued by saying that the PSNI has yet to manage to lower the crime statistics to below 100,000 per year and added that crime was beginning to spread from city centre streets into rural areas.

Mr Paisley also voiced his concerns over the 160% increase in domestic burglaries in the Castlereagh area, the increase of over 70% rise in vehicle crime in Magherafelt and an overall increase in rural areas of 10.3%.

He said: "There's hard work being done, but this is the first time in two to three years that crime statistics have done a u-turn. Instead of going down there's now an upward trend. We can do better and we must do better."

Sir Hugh responded by stating that his officers had not become complacent and insisted that Northern Ireland is still a safe place in which to live.

However, the main issue of today's meeting was to give the Board the opportunity to question the Chief Constable over two high profile deaths, which took place in the province.

He was quizzed over the police role in monitoring the movements of Trevor Hamilton, who, apart from being dubbed as one of the most closely monitored sex offenders in the province, managed to murder Strabane pensioner, Attracta Harron just four months after he was released from prison.

Hamilton had previously been convicted for raping, assaulting and threatening to kill a woman. But in December 2003, he attacked and murdered the 65-year-old former librarian as she made her way home from mass. Mrs Harron's body was discovered in a shallow grave close to Hamilton's home.

During the meeting, the Board was told that the PSNI did all it could to monitor sex offenders and would continue to do so.

Also discussed at the meetign was the death of 23-year-old Stephen Colwell, who was fatally shot by police after failing to stop at a security checkpoint in Ballynahinch on Easter Sunday.

Police fired a number of shots at the stolen car, which Steven Colwell was driving, killing him instantly.

However, speaking at the Policing Board meeting, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton said it would be inappropriate to make further comment on Mr Colwell's death, due to the ongoing Police Ombudsman's investigation.

(EF/SP)