Cost Of Policing Parades In Focus

The money being spent policing NI parades was in focus this week.

The PSNI Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde told the NI Policing Board yesterday that contentious marches with a 'high threat of disorder' divert tens of thousands of pounds of PSNI resources from other frontline services.

He said that the cost of policing parades in Northern Ireland was £5m last year.

It is understood the cost of the operation for last weekend's Whiterock parade alone was in excess of £100,000.

"That's a substantial cost in terms of what we could've done with £5 million in terms of community policing and in terms of dealing with crime levels, which is exactly what communities talk to me about," he said.

The top cop was speaking against a background of separate discussion on parades.

Members of the NI Policing Board's Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee have met separately with representatives of the Parades Commission for a discussion on a number of issues of mutual interest.

Committee Chair Basil McCrea reported to the full Board on Thursday that a discussion took place on outstanding issues which were raised on the policing of summer parades in the Board's Human Rights Annual Report.

"The Board is responsible for monitoring police compliance with human rights legislation and this includes the policing of parades," he said.

"We all want to see a peaceful marching season this summer, not least because of the effect violence and disruption can cause to the stability of our society but also in terms of the pressure it puts on police resources - resources which are often diverted from other important areas of policing," he said.

Meanwhile, the committee also received an update by its human rights advisor on the use of 'stop and search' powers by the PSNI.

The Committee is responsible for overseeing how the police meets its responsibilities under the Human Rights Act 1998 and scrutinising the use of police stop and search powers forms an important element of this work.

Mr McCrea reported: "The use of stop and search powers has been an area of ongoing scrutiny as the public need assurance that the police are fully accountable in the application and use of stop and search powers.

"In 2008/2009 there were in excess of 18,000 stops and searches and recent figures published showed a marked increase in the use of 'stop and search' under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

"Whilst recognising the need for the police to have access to stop and search powers to do their job, checks and balances need to be in place to ensure that such powers are not being used disproportionately," he told the full Board's meeting on Thursday.

(BMcC/JM)