Alderman Jim Rodgers has called on the PSNI Senior Command Unit to reverse a decision to put Castlereagh Police Station into the Lisburn & Castlereagh Council command area.
Alderman Rodgers said:
“This decision makes no sense. Castlereagh Police Station is in the heart of East Belfast, to say that from the 1st of April it will operate within a command structure outside of Belfast is madness. If it wasn’t so serious I would almost think it was an April Fool.
“The area around Castlereagh Police Station which falls within Belfast City Council boundaries is densely populated with many businesses also situated in the vicinity.
“This is exactly the type of consequence we warned about when it became clear that part of East Belfast would be moved into Lisburn under the Local Government Boundary Review. These sort of practical considerations were lost in the drawing up of the illogical boundaries we have ended up with.
“I, and fellow East Belfast Ulster Unionist Councillors Chris McGimpsey, Sonia Copeland and Peter Johnston will be asking to meet with the Chief Constable George Hamilton. We do not believe this decision is the right one and we will be urging him to review it.”