Justice Minister condemns disruption of District Policing and Community Safety Partnership meetings
Date published:
Justice Minister Naomi Long has commented following disruption of recent public meetings of the West Belfast and North Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships by protestors.
The Minister said:
“I condemn recent attempts to disrupt public meetings of District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships in Belfast. Such behaviour needs to be called out and challenged. Policing is an inherent part of the transformation of our society and of keeping people safe.
“Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs) give local people a say on how work is taken forward in their neighbourhoods to improve community safety and tackle Anti-Social Behaviour. They also work to build local confidence in the PSNI. They are made up of local Councillors, independent members drawn from the area and representatives from the PSNI, Youth Justice Agency, NI Fire & Rescue Service, Housing Executive, Health and Social Care Trusts, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland and Education Authority.
“Alongside local Councils, they work to make lives better for the local people they serve. Elected representatives speak for local people and have a mandate to do so. Turning up to shout down speakers at a DPCSP public meeting is an attack on all of the people of West Belfast and of North Belfast.
“I’m pleased that, in spite of the attempts of a small minority to thwart the DPCSP meetings from taking place, the meetings were able to go ahead – giving local people an opportunity to raise any issues and to hear updates on work going on by the DPCSPs in each area.”
Notes to editors:
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