President's Speech - AGM May 2010

(Introduction and welcomes)

I would like to extend a special welcome to the newly appointed Justice Minister, Mr David Ford MLA. It has been some time since we first heard about having our own Justice Minister in Northern Ireland and there have been many ups and downs between now and then but we eventually got there. This Association welcomes the appointment and believes it to be the best way forward for our community. The Association is also delighted at your appointment. Members of this Association are the senior managers of the police service who ensure the delivery of front-line policing and have a wealth of experience and knowledge about policing matters. We hope that we can offer you our experience, advice and support. We hope that we can develop a good working and mutually beneficial relationship with you and your Department over the years to come.

Role of Police
During many years of turbulence, in Northern Ireland, the police have carried out their duty and delivered a policing service to the community which has helped hold our society together. The police service is not tasked with changing society but it has a fundamental role and contribution to make in building a cohesive society with a shared future. So this Association and its members, who through their experience, knowledge and leadership deliver front-line policing, have always sought to build a peaceful and united community. A community with a shared future where policing is by consent, is aimed at delivering the best service to the community, meeting local needs and solving local issues mostly through partnership.

For police to deliver the best policing, they must be given the support, resourcing and tools to do the job. In the next few moments I hope to outline where this Association believes that support, resourcing and tools need to be provided. We base these comments on our years of knowledge and experience of policing and delivering it with the community here in Northern Ireland.

Terrorist Threat
It was a great hope of mine that I could stand here before you today and talk about leading the future of policing, in a new devolved administration, in a new normality. Regrettably that hope is not yet fulfilled. When I made my speech at our AGM last year I had to mention the continuing threat from terrorist criminals. It is with great regret that this situation still pertains today. Indeed the threat has become more serious. There have been many attempts to murder or seriously injure members of the police service who selflessly, day by day, go about providing a policing service to this community.
We have suffered loss of life in the past through the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll and we have been fortunate that more police officers have not been killed. Regrettably some have been seriously injured and I refer, in particular, to Constable Peader Heffron. Peader has been an inspiration in his fortitude in dealing with his traumatic injuries and we wish him well in his recovery.

It is, of course not only officers who have suffered. The families of our officers have suffered as well. Since January 2010 there have been death threats against 24 officers which have forced the movement of these officers and their families to new homes where they will be safe. This disruption and trauma to the officers and their loved ones is unacceptable.

This infestation of dissident terrorist criminals is a cancer in this community. I feel I must appeal to those who are involved in such despicable criminal acts to stop but I fear my words will fall on deaf ears and hardened hearts. Martin Luther King once said: ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’. So, in that vein and at a time of challenge and controversy, can I appeal to those members of the community who have knowledge about these terrorist criminals or who know anything about the criminal acts they have carried out, to stand up and provide the information that will help our community to be free from this infestation.

Quite rightly, our political and community leaders at all levels condemn the acts of these criminals. I fear that words are not enough. All of our leaders need to take united action to create the environment where these terrorist criminals find no succour. A leading republican figure was reported to have recently stated: ‘Without popular support, or at the very least the support of a significant section of the population, no group can survive, much less win’. So it is essential that no one in our community gives these terrorist criminals support, not even tacit support. As a holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel once said: ‘Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented’’. So I ask all leaders in our community not to be silent but more I ask them to be united in their actions to deny these terrorist criminals support. I call on all leaders to exercise their influence to the full before there is more injury and more loss of life.

I also ask of those people in our community who work with our young people, who can influence our young people or who are the role models for them, act to ensure that those who may be on the brink of becoming involved in criminal terrorist activity to think again. It is a downward spiral that brings no benefit and brings only misery to all including those involved. I understand that, for many young people it may be difficult to have a vision of a brighter future especially with the present economic downturn and difficulties in finding jobs. Please think again and look for a better way. Don’t give yourself to these terrorist criminals, don’t be fooled by any false romantic ideal, these people offer you nothing but dark misery.

Budgets
The world has endured great and unprecedented economic upheaval over these last few years. There is pressure on public expenditure at all levels. The police are no exception to this nor do I believe that they expect to be. With the devolution of policing and justice, the police service finds itself having to compete locally for its share of the budget. It will now have to compete against housing, health, social services and other public services for funding. This is what happens in other parts of the UK and is the norm. However, policing in Northern Ireland, much as we all may want it to be, is not the norm. The additional burden on policing and on police funding here, is the additional cost of providing security because of the terrorist threat. It is vital and important that this is not lost in the rounds of negotiations about budgets. The protection of the community from terrorists is essential. The protection of police officers so that they can go out and deliver a high quality service to our community and protect it, is essential. Such protection is not without financial burden and that burden must be met. Providing adequate funding is not just about the number of police officers but about having sufficient experienced officers.
By March 2011, the Police Service will have lost the officers of the Full-Time Reserve. These officers over many years have given dedicated and excellent service to our community. Many of their number have suffered loss of life and serious injury in selflessly carrying out their duties. As the Full-time Reserve go by March 2011, we will also lose the last tranche of officers leaving under the Police Severance Scheme. This will have reduced the number of experienced officers greatly and this will not be easy to overcome but if there are further reductions due to the lack of funding then it is difficult to see how the necessary protection can be provided. Minister, firstly, we ask that you ensure that the funding promised in the letter from the previous Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown, is met in full. Secondly, this Association seeks your support and commitment to ensure adequate funding is always available to provide protection for this community including its police officers and to deal with the terrorist threat.

I am also conscious that Northern Ireland is in the position of having budgets centrally funded. This is not the case elsewhere. Recommendation 32 of the Independent Report on Policing (The Patten Report) made recommendation that District Councils should have the power to raise money through their rates to improve policing in their area. This concept applies in other parts of the UK and is known as the ‘policing precept’. For various reasons this recommendation was not introduced here in Northern Ireland. I am not seeking to look at the pros and cons of this funding stream here today but feel that it is worth a fresh examination given the current constraints on central funding. Certainly, when we talk about the social responsibility of members of the community standing up and becoming engaged with policing, then what would more prompt such action than having to pay for some of the policing in your own area.

New Legislation
Providing protection is not just about funding. I recall a recent report where a female police officer received a laceration to her face when someone threw a brick at the window of the police car. I also recall recently a police colleague in England lost the sight in one eye in an incident. These are only recent examples where police officers have been assaulted in the line of duty. In fact in 2009 there were 3,179 assaults on police officers and this represents 42%, nearly half, of the total number of police in Northern Ireland. But this does not only affect police officers, it happens to members of other emergency services also. Members of the emergency services who selflessly give of themselves to provide a quality service to members of this community should not have to suffer these incidents and the resultant injuries – they should also be protected. One way of deterring such incidents is to ensure that the punishment for those brought to justice, provides a deterrent and an example to others who may contemplate such attacks. Minister, I am aware that you intend to have a review of sentencing and on behalf of this Association I ask that you use your influence to ensure that such a deterrent is in place to help stop such assaults.

In a broader vein there is concern about the guidance and support given to the youth in our community, who are, after all, the citizens of tomorrow. Many of our young people take their social responsibility seriously and contribute well to society. However, there is a small minority, which the police are often in contact who do not. Their disruptive behaviour can make the lives of other citizens a living hell. There is a need for guidance and support and this mainly and quite rightly falls on the shoulders of parents. Parents have a responsibility and they should meet that responsibility. As a parent myself, I know it is not an easy duty to discharge, but it cannot be neglected. It is always useful to look for how this can be brought about and one piece of legislation which is useful in other parts of the UK but absent here is that of Parenting Orders. This Association feels that this legislation would be particularly useful in Northern Ireland and be effective in making parents live up to their responsibilities. This Association would ask you Minister to look at introducing this legislation in Northern Ireland.

I have mentioned, here, the concept of responsibilities and this is closely tied with the concept of rights. This Association is aware of the recent consultation on a Bill of Rights for introduction in Northern Ireland. As a fervent supporter of Human Rights, this Association supports the concept of a Bill of Rights but we believe that this needs to be extended to include responsibilities. Indeed, this Association is at a loss to understand why in other parts of the UK it is intended to introduce a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, whilst in Northern Ireland we are aiming for a lesser target. If any community needed a more inclusive piece of legislation, it is the community in Northern Ireland as it tries to build a shared future. Minister, this Association asks you to aim for that higher target of a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

Partnerships
So this Association endorses building stronger cohesive communities and getting people to work together to make the future brighter. The principle of partnership is that: ‘we should only do apart that which we cannot do better together’. Doing things better together is effective partnership working and this is an essential part of policing, now and for the future. It is the most effective way of getting an holistic and lasting solution to those problems that our community faces. This Association has in the past called on the NIO to introduce similar partnerships as exist in England & Wales under the Crime and Disorder Act where statutory agencies work together to find solutions to community problems and so improve the quality of life for members of the community.

So it is good at last to see the Government have published a consultative document regarding the creation of Crime Reduction Partnerships in Northern Ireland. Having read this document, I do have some concerns which I have articulated in the Association’s response to that consultation but which I believe needs reinforcement here to-day. These new partnerships, in whatever format they finally assume, provide an opportunity for more synergy to be introduced and for better and more holistic outcomes to problems. My concern is that the suggested models in the consultation document are akin to a ‘shotgun marriage’ in an attempt to amalgamate existing partnerships and then layer on the new partnership. I do not believe this approach is the right one. It lacks the necessary radical approach to create a new entity which can bring a better quality of life to our community. It is important that all support the creation of these partnerships and that no one should become over precious about existing institutions. I think it was best said by the Head of the National Police Improvement Agency when he said: ‘We are guardians of the service we deliver not the structures we inhabit’. There are existing District Policing Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships and they are doing good work. However, they have distinctly different roles and, in the past, there has been much talk about their amalgamation but no one could find a way to do this satisfactorily. I therefore wonder why we should think that in creating Crime Reduction Partnerships we can amalgamate the existing partnerships inside this new one. New ideas should not be shoe-horned into old structures. Minister, this Association, the senior managers and leaders of the police service, puts to you that this new partnership should be structured to effectively deliver a high quality of service to our community. It should be the mechanism for the delivery by all relevant government agencies and should not be something cobbled together from existing partnerships. It should not just be a mechanism for holding police to account on delivery but should be for all relevant government agencies.

In working in partnership, the creation of synergy is essential. It is important that all get more out of the partnership than they put in by the efficient and effective use of the shared resources. It is vital that the people, the systems and the procedures which the separate partners use complement each other, work together and provide the best service to our community. This can be a long and painful process as is illustrated by the Causeway Programme which aims to electronically join together parts of the justice system. Such efforts are worthwhile. It shows the need for partners not to look inward but look outward at other partner agencies and at the combined service that can be provided. For instance, allowing police officers to use their discretion about minor offences may stop the PPS from being inundated with prosecution files. Not criminalising our young for minor offences may reduce the bureaucracy in the justice system and ensure they have a second chance. It is about reducing the bureaucracy across all the justice and other agencies. Minister, with you now acting locally this Association would hope that with your leadership this partnership approach is adopted and embraced by all parts of the justice system.

Leadership and Development
Leadership is an essential and great quality in any walk of life but it is vital in policing at all levels. To some it comes naturally and to others it is something to be learned and emulated. The members of this Association are the leaders that deliver daily through their staff, quality policing in our community. John Quincy Adams, former US president once said: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more to do more and to become more, then you are a leader.” As the Leader of this Association I seek to ensure that our members are given the best training and the best development opportunities so that they become the best leaders and can inspire those under their command to do more, to deliver more and to become more. This Association has endeavoured to improve our members professionally and last year we negotiated membership of the Chartered Management Institute as one way of broadening development. However, the primary provider of leadership training and development is the PSNI. We had hopes, in this year, of working with the PSNI to provide clear pathways to our current and future members in the form of new careers advice and career management processes backed up by appropriate and timely training and development both inside and outside the policing service. Unfortunately, I must report that we did not achieve this goal. However, we stand ready to pursue it further as we believe it to be essential to our members particularly in an organisation that has seen so much change and flux in its senior managers over the last years. Minister, it is in part about budgets being adequate to provide the training and development but also about support for such development opportunities.

PRRT
In my last speech, I referred to the excellent work being carried out by the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust. I mentioned that the need for the provisions delivered by PRRT would exist for some years to come. The future funding for PRRT at that time had not been confirmed. I note that a review of PRRT, on behalf of the NIO, was carried out and IO believe that it was appositive review. The funding for PRRT has not been assured to date. Minister, this support is vital for those officers who have left the service and for those who are yet to leave. They are all deserving of this kind of professional service. This association would ask you to use your influence to ensure funding is assured for the years ahead.

Police Museum
In my speech last year, I referred to the creation of a Police Museum. This subject seems to have been around for quite some time without resolution. I am aware that the business case has been sitting with the NIO for at least a year. There has been no approval for funding. It may now be that the funding will fall to the Northern Ireland Assembly. This Association believes that there is a need for a Police Museum and, even though there is great pressure on funding, this is a worthwhile venture. Policing in Ireland is part of the rich tapestry of this country and it is important that future generations know of that tapestry, know of the sacrifices made, and know of the efforts of their fore fathers and mothers to create a safe and lasting peaceful country in which to live. In particular the police have delivered on its part of the Patten Report. This was not easy. It required a lot of pain and disruption but the police delivered. This association believes that the government needs to honour its part of the Patten Report in ensuring the Police Museum concept is delivered. Minister, if this project now falls to you, this Association asks that you provide it with support both politically and financially.

There are many challenges ahead for our members but I believe one of the strengths of our Association is the wealth of experience and talent within it. Like all organisations we may not always get things right first time but we are never afraid to try again.

I think in the future with this new normality of devolved policing and justice, that this Association, of senior experienced police leaders, has the opportunity to forge new, better and beneficial relationships with you, Minister, with the Assembly’s Justice Committee, with the Policing Board and with other Government departments with whom partnership working will now become the norm.

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