Neighbourhood Patrols Prioritised Says Policing Board

A newly developed NI Policing Plan - which continues to establish priorities "designed to meet the needs of the public and help make communities safer" - has resulted in several fresh initiatives.

Among the items reported in the Northern Ireland Policing Board's seventh annual report this week was news that a new target has been set to ensure that PSNI Neighbourhood Officers work at least 80% of their duty hours on neighbourhood policing activities.

It is one of several new initiatives that have been introduced, as well as a new 'performance indicator' regarding the percentage of time spent by police officers on beat and patrol duties.

Other issues that have received attention included a target to reduce the level of repeat victimisation of domestic abuse, which has been a growing concern.

Board Chairman, Sir Desmond talked of challenges facing the PSNI and the Board: "Continuing to build public confidence in policing in areas where there has traditionally been a lack of community support and managing the impact of a tighter police budget on the delivery of frontline policing services are some of the very real challenges that we face.

"Another challenge is what is now seen as the final piece in the policing jigsaw, the devolution of policing and justice," he said, noting that "is not in the Board's gift", but said the Board maintains its own position.

He said that in order to serve the community, and continue to ensure the delivery of an effective, efficient, accountable, and impartial police service, the Chief Constable should remain solely accountable to the Board and suffer no undermining or diminution in his operational responsibility.

Meanwhile, despite a year of progress and moving forward, he also said "the spectre of times past had also reared its ugly head".

"For the first time in a long time in the last year, the people of Northern Ireland witnessed terrorist attacks on police officers by those who have nothing to offer our society.

"In their delusion, terrorists must not be allowed to undermine the genuine progress that has been made and I trust that all those who want to live in a future that bears no resemblance to the past will unite to deny the dissidents any foothold in the present," Sir Desmond said.

In terms of statistics, the period covered by this annual report saw a 10.5% decrease in recorded crime on the previous year, making the figures the lowest recorded crime figures since the counting rules were revised a decade ago.

This reduction surpassed the target set in the 2007-2010 Policing Plan, but the low overall clearance rate remained a cause for concern and the Board had set the PSNI a challenging target in the 2008/2011 Policing Plan; the target is to increase the clearance rate by five percentage points.

The period covered by this annual report also saw the third reconstitution of the Board itself and for the first time the tangible reality of full political and community support for policing.

"New cross-community support also prepared the way for the reconstitution of 23 out of the 26 District Policing Partnerships (DPPs) and, through their political and independent membership; DPPs are now fully representative of the communities they serve," concluded the Chairman.

See: Politicians Shun Community Policing Meeting

(BMcC)