Message for new Chief Constable
22 September 2009
Comments by Jim Allister QC, TUV Leader to mark the new Chief Constable taking office
"The police service bequeathed to the new Chief Constable does not compare favourably to that inherited by his predecessor. The adverse impacts of Patten have now worked through to produce a police service denuded of experience, Special Branch, key intelligence gathering capacity, meaningful anti-terrorist capability and numbers. The result: not only a shortage of policing on the ground, but an alarming deficit in the ability to face down renewed IRA terrorism, with at least ‘slow-go’ areas now in place.
"It behoves the new Chief to set about urgently redressing each of these weaknesses. Public confidence needs the boast which reversal of much of Orde’s folly would contribute. Thus, each of the following requires immediate action:
- the life-threatening policy on PPWs must be reversed so that ex-security personnel can retain a means of self defence in face of the republican threat;
- the destruction of the Police Reserve must be halted, with recognition of the pivotal contribution of these selfless officers;
- anti-terrorist capacity and intelligence gathering must be rebuilt. Never again should we face the indignity of a ‘tactical withdrawal’ from situations such as at Meigh. Control of the border regions must not be lost;
- the ethos and primacy of mere ‘community policing’, where such inhibits robust anti-terrorist policing, requires review. That which suits the leafy suburbs of England will not meet the challenges of the dangerous roads of South Armagh;
- the key working environment for the police must be seen to be the streets, not the office;
- the wanton closure of police stations must stop.
"Though appointed with the blessing of Sinn Fein/IRA is far from a good recommendation, I will judge Matt Baggott on his performance. I trust he will prove less of a political Chief Constable than Orde, who at the Government's behest overplayed the 'normalisation' game, making it easier for the IRA to return to murder."
