Street violence threatens to wreck policing reform

The Oversight Commissioner for Policing Reform in Northern Ireland, Tom Constantine, has warned that the continuing street violence in the Province is threatening to wreck the process of policing reform.

In his fifth report Mr Constantine said: "Group violence directed at police officers as they try to preserve peace can threaten the entire concept of police reform."

He warned that the current environment of crime and violence was creating the foundation for the growing threat of organised crime.

A former Chief of Police for New York State, Mr Constantine is in charge of the team responsible for overseeing the implementation of reforms based on the Patten proposals on policing in Northern Ireland.

The report, which deals with issues up until May this year, noted that support from the entire community would be necessary if the goal of major change was to be met.

Mr Constantine welcomed the change in emblems and subsequent change in uniforms as a major accomplishment. However, in the 120-page report, the Oversight Commissioner was critical of shortfalls in several areas designated for reform in the PSNI.

In particular, there had been a delay in producing a plan to implement the integration of Special Branch into the CID and in the formation of the District Policing Partnerships.

Though an evaluation of the merger of Special Branch into the CID is thought unlikely to be produced before next year, the process of recruitment onto the DPPs commenced last week.

However, while noting that staff shortages and high levels of sickness were hampering police from carrying out their jobs, Mr Constantine said that the civilianisation programme, which would result in the release of "trained officers for patrol and other important duties," was behind schedule.

The report also highlighted that there was no plan in place to deal with the future of full-time and part-time reserve officers.

Earlier Chief Constable Hugh Orde has said that due to the ongoing security issues that the reserve officers will be needed for the foreseeable future.

(SP)