The Ulster Unionist Party’s Policing Board representative, Mike Nesbitt MLA, has urged the community and political parties to get behind the Police after what has been a very difficult period for policing in Northern Ireland.  

Mike Nesbitt said:

“It is absolutely essential that the Police are given the full support of every single citizen and every political party in Northern Ireland. Without that this society is heading to a very dangerous place. We have been there before and no one should push us backwards.  

“As we have seen in the past few weeks, the police are criticised when they don’t act and criticised when they do. Mistakes will inevitably be made, as is the case with every police force or service on the planet, but that is why we have oversight arrangements including the Police Ombudsman and the Policing Board. Those bodies must be allowed to do their job and follow due process.

“We must also bear in mind that the Police need to be given the resources they require to do their job. They are already facing major problems due to staffing levels and instead of getting the 500 additional officers recommended in the ‘New Decade New Approach’ paper, the police are now facing the prospect of the loss of an additional 300 officers. At the Policing Board just last week the Chief Constable said he was facing a £53M deficit in the current financial year, which could threaten the current recruitment drive. This is on top of last year’s Audit Office report which said the PSNI had seen its budget fall by £200M in real terms over the past decade. This also raises questions as to what money has been bid for by the Justice Minister in the latest budgetary process.

“A number of questions have been raised by what happened on the Ormeau Road last Friday – not least who briefed the officers involved; was this identified as a notable event; was there a command structure in place and had the senior officers completed necessary training for Public Order?

 “As we await answers to those questions, it is extremely regrettable that the Chief Constable of the PSNI has pre-judged these two young officers.

“The organisers of the event also have questions to answer, not least regarding the numbers involved, because it was the presence of a large crowd that drew the attention of the passing police patrol in the first place.”