Shock: Local Politicians “Tribal” via Everything Ulster
You'd scarcely credit it but Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey is fuming with Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde and is demanding an apology after the chief of police allegedly claimed the policing board had "gone a bit tribal".
Supposedly Orde accused the elected members of being more interested in political debate than policing issues. Frankly, I suspect describing the debate as "political" was being generous.
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PSNI Recruitment Discrimination End In Sight via Everything Ulster
For some unionists, discrimination in 50:50 recruitment in the PSNI, whereby 50% of new recruits had to be "members of the Roman Catholic community", was perhaps the bitterest of bitter pills swallowed to garner nationalist support for policing here. The silver-lining appears to be that it is actually working.
Although it's impact upon clear-up rates and general police effectiveness is questionable, the 50:50 recruitment practice is succeeding in recruiting more Catholic police officers. In 1998 the percentage of RUC officers from a Catholic background was 8.3%; in February 2008 this figure for the PSNI was 23.7%. Paul Goggins, the minister responsible for security matters in Northern Ireland, said that this put them on course to achieve a target of 30% in 2010/2011.
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Patten to be rolled out across UK via Everything Ulster
The Patten Commission was not a pleasant experience for Unionists. The abandonment of the historic name and symbols of the RUC GC was needless, insensitive, and damaging to Unionist confidence in the political process of the time. While this was not the only negative experience to come out of Patten, what we can say is a great many of the recommendations (PDF) in the report were good ones that have improved the already high standard of policing in Northern Ireland. One of these proposals, detailed at pages 62 and 63 of the Patten report, was the civilianisation of many tasks that were being undertaken by fully trained Police Officers. Police Officers are expensive to train and retain, this training is extensive and produces an excellent public servant for the betterment of the...
RIRA Aim For Army on NI Streets via Everything Ulster
http://www.everythingulster.com/blogs/index.php/2008/02/06/rira_aim_for_army_on_ni_streetsThe republican splinter-group the Real IRA has an objective to get soldiers re-deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland.
With more attacks on the RUC/PSNI we believe we can reach the stage where British soldiers are brought back onto the streets to bolster the cops. This will shatter the facade that the British presence has gone and normality reigns.
Real IRA
After getting over the immense hypocrisy of a so-called separatist group actually attempting to have the "crown forces" deployed on their streets I dismissed the statement as (possibly drunken) wishful thinking on the part of the Real IRA and sensationalism on the part of the Sunday Tribune who carried the article, however the PSNI are...
More Police Officers Drink Driving via Everything Ulster
http://www.everythingulster.com/blogs/index.php/2008/01/23/more_police_officers_drink_drivingOver Christmas the PSNI caught 600 people drink-driving. 2 of those were off-duty PSNI officers.
Unlike Officer Geraldine Donnelly , who was caught before new policy came into effect, these 2 officers "if prosecuted", are likely to lose their jobs. If?! They deserve to lose their jobs on the grounds of gross stupidity to do something so idiotic; especially after the uproar Donnelly...
Who Will Police the Police-Police? via Everything Ulster
http://www.everythingulster.com/blogs/index.php/2008/01/04/who_will_police_the_police_policeSlugger today highlighted a story from Friday when it was reported that a Resident Magistrate delivered a damning verdict on an investigation by the Police Ombudsman's office bringing into question the integrity of the body in charge of investigating complaints against the police.
The Ombudsman's office was set up following the Good Friday Agreement to oversee the work of the police and ensure that any complaints about the police would be investigated through an "independent, impartial police complaints system". The prosecution persecution of Constable Keith McCabe, described by a magistrate as a "witch-hunt", made a mockery of that whole idea.
Following a GAA match in Enniskillen, a GAA fan...
On The Need for Policing via Everything Ulster
Last night in the markets area in Belfast a group of "about 20" protestors (I presume that's including the kids) disrupted a DPP meeting in south Belfast designed to give people there a voice and a chance to raise issues with and ask qustions of the police.
They reportedly shouted profanities, "jostled" councillors and decried nationalist politicians for administering a "British police force" administering "imperial rule in Ireland".
Meanwhile, two nights previously, 82-year-old pensioner Jack Cassidy was attacked and robbed in his house just off the Andersonstown Road in west Belfast. A gang of four youths forced their way in to his house on Saint Agnes Drive while he was watching the Northern Ireland football team's victory over Denmark. They "manhandled" the pensioner and urinated in...
The UDA via Skin Flicks
The Ulster Defence Association is a loyalist terror group, founded in 1972 at the height of the Troubles.In the Eighties, the UDA and their various proxy names (UFF etc) killed only two Republican paramilitaries, but over 100 innocent Catholics in Northern Ireland.Many of these killings were done in collusion with the RUC and the UDR, the official, British government-sponsored agents of justice in Northern Ireland at the time.The UDA is heavily armed, and engages in internal feuding as well as internecine feuding with the UVF, largely in turf wars relating to the profits of drug dealing and racketeering in Northern Ireland and Scotland.The UDA is a proscribed organisation, of which membership is a criminal offence. Despite a promise in 2005, years after the IRA disarmed, to 'consider...
Soldiers Leaving Crossmaglen - Holding Heads High via Everything Ulster
http://www.everythingulster.com/blogs/index.php/everythingulster/2007/04/01/soldiers_leaving_crossmaglen_holding_heaIt was funny to watch republicans reach near orgasm over the withdrawal of the army from Crossmaglen following a job well done. Yesterday the last soldiers left the village Possibly the most amusing thing was the placard carried by some of the terrorist supporting rabble. "Intimidation, torture, murder" in capital letters adorned the middle. Ironically, that's exactly why the army came in - to put an end to the IRA's campaign of, you guessed it, intimidation, torture and murder.
Now seems an appropriate time to thank all the soldiers who served here over the decades of the troubles, doing a difficult and often thankless job in even more difficult circumstances. I'm not...
Reinforcing the Language Barrier that Separates the Community via Everything Ulster
http://www.everythingulster.com/blogs/index.php/everythingulster/2007/02/27/reinforcing_the_language_barrier_that_seGovernment research on the mainland is indicating that providing public services in foreign languages for non-English speakers is not only costing upwards of £100m a year (including £55m in the NHS), but isolating communities from each other. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein and their new MOPE poster-girl "Maire Nic An Bhaird" are continuing their efforts to create language barriers where none presently exist.
Remember, these millions are being spent on translating for people who can't speak English; by pushing for the new Irish Language Act to be rights-based one, republicans are demanding that the government spend proportionally similar sums translations for people who...
Collusion - the proof via Skin Flicks
Hot on the heels of the recent independent international panel report into 76 deaths in the 1970s, now we have Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman report into collusion.Thank you, Nuala O'Loan for your brave and comprehensive report into the biggest scandal of the entire 'Troubles' period.It is now incontrovertible that the state's police and security services routinely colluded with Loyalist gunmen in order to bring about the murder of Catholic citizens of Northern Ireland.No doubt the Paisleyites will be suddenly silenced, as they always are when evidence of the wrongdoings committed against the Catholic community of the six counties are highlighted.But with the DUP's eternal ranting about murderers and terrorism, with the UUP's continuing demands for Nationalists to ally themselves to...
Idiots rule via Skin Flicks
Like the song goes, idiots rule. But for them to rule, then a large proportion of the rest of us have to follow. Which makes us the even bigger idiots. How does this work? Let's examine a few current examples:1. China expects to be short by about 30 million marriageable women by 2020. This one's not rocket science. They couldn't have seen it coming?Okay, so first the Government tells you to stop breeding under pain of death and prescribes stringent laws punishing people for having more than one child. What to do? Overthrow your mad-as-a-brush government is what.Don't listen to the idiots - if you do, you end up killing your girl children and your sole son will have no one to marry when he grows up, which he will have to do entirely surrounded by other lads, which will probably make him...
When is a Catholic not a Catholic? via Everything Ulster
http://www.everythingulster.com/blogs/index.php/everythingulster/2007/01/12/when_is_a_catholic_not_a_catholic The bullshit 50-50 recruitment discrimination legislation is making it more difficult for migrant workers to get jobs in the PSNI, which can’t possibly help the service when it’s trying to deal with members of the ever-growing ethnic minority group in Northern Ireland.
It’s fairly common knowledge that the legislation was ridiculous enough to start with by virtue of defining only 2 groups of people, Catholic and ‘other,’ for the purposes of police recruitment. Now Miss Fitz at Slugger O’Toole has pointed out the relevant part of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 which shows that Polish applicants, despite being overwhelmingly Roman...
Republicans Reject DUP Policing Compromise via Everything Ulster
Rejectionist republicanism once again reared its ugly head this weekend as Sinn Fein “justice” spokesman Gerry Kelly said his party rejected the proposals made by the DUP to devolve policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The DUP proposal would have seen policing and justice devolved to the Northern Ireland executive and assembly, with the Policing & Justice minister being elected based on a weighted cross-community vote.
Sinn Fein have been calling for the devolution of justice and policing powers “to ensure policing is accountable” to the people of Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement way back when. As recently as 8th December Gerry Adams said “we need local accountability and control of our policing and justice...
Scrap the Gardai and start again via Skin Flicks
It's time to scrap the Gardai and start again. I was thinking this around the time that the Patton reforms in the North were announced years ago. If there is a police force on this island in desperate need of reform, it's the Gardai, not the PSNI.Now, that's not to suggest that all is well with the Nips. It's not. But they have moved on from the sectarian nature that the RUC once displayed and are continuing to move in the right direction, in a climate which still makes proper community policing extremely difficult.It's time, as Mairtin O'Muilleoir has pointed out, for Sinn Fein to endorse the PSNI, so that they can help to achieve the final reforms necessary to make the PSNI truly a police force for all in the North.But what about the keystone cops of the Republic? This week they finally...
Spring is in the Autumn Air via Belfast Blogger
Anyone else noticed the prospect of a new dawn for politics here? A faint whiff of spring in the squally autumn air?
Me neither. But you can’t deny certain events in the last week indicate that the unthinkable might happen, and that Big Ian and Beardy Gerry might soon be saying “I do” to each other over the Stormont altar, and then engaging in some, quite frankly, vomit-inducing nuptials afterwards. Before revealing the happy couple’s new house, however, let’s all put on Lloyd Grossman voices and look at the evidence.
Spring gambol 1 - The positive IMC report hasn’t been completely rubbished by the DUP. The DUP not completely rubbishing anything is, in reality, their strongest form of endorsement. Of course they didn’t say it was...
Thousands of white men walk down street via Belfast Blogger
Thousands of men walked down the street in Northern Ireland today without anything untoward or objectional happening.
A heavy police presence, and numerous media organisations, watched as the men, who were all white and European, walked down the streets. The men, dressed in suits, played music as they walked.
“This is a great day for Northern Ireland, ” declared one bystander. “At last, people can walk down the streets dressed in suits without riots or violence occuring.”
Other, less important, news in brief…
Total war breaks out in Middle East, but they’re not really Europeans
Hundreds die in Mumbai bombs, but they’re Indians
Organisation responsible for the death and forced enslavement of thousands of children ignores talks, but...
Outbreaks of Law and Order Sweep Ulster via Everything Ulster
Over the last couple of days we've seen the seizure of cocaine at Aldergrove with estimated value between £1-3 million, 8 men arrested (although 4 already released without charge) suspected of being involved with active republican groups, promises to crack down on dangerous and untaxed vehicles and even a Fermanagh farmer arrested for allowing illegal waste from the Irish Republic to be dumped on his land (polluting the land and water around the farm).
What are the odds of this unusual bout of police effectiveness being sustained over the longer-term, I wonder......
Heavy Handed My Arse via Everything Ulster
Yes folks, another prominent republican has been involved in an altercation with the police - and of course you know what that means. Yes, another whinge about police "heavy handedness". Now that they've accepted claims of 'brutality' were taking the piss, this new Sinn Fein buzzphrase is cropping up more and more (on both sides of the divide!).
This time upstanding holy man Fra McCann intervened as the police were arresting a teenager on the Falls Road for attempted robbery. Fra McCann, according to his own version of events, "put himself between one police officer and [the suspect]".
For some reason Fra McCann was surprised to find that his actions, that could only realistically be perceived as impeding the arrest of an attempted robber, resulted in himself being arrested. Shocking...
Bombscares In Belfast - did you notice? via Everything Ulster
I didn't - and apparently I wasn't that far away from one of them. It can't be just a coincidence that the wastes of space who planned the bomb alerts carried out their hoaxes on a day when they knew Belfast's roads would be hectic anyway, with thousands of employees rushing home to catch the start of the major football tournament* getting underway today.
Let's face it, these cowards (presumably republicans?) haven't the balls to actually cause serious harm because they have no backing from the wider population. Instead they just piss off as many people as possible (at least they keep the army and police officers in jobs). At the risk of sounding reckless, they're more of an irritance than a threat - like all-too-persistent mosquitos. It's well past time they were swatted.
* I'm not...
Police Refuse To Police via Everything Ulster
The PSNI have confirmed that they do not intend to pursue and arrest Dessie O'Hare, AKA the Border Fox, claiming any investigation would fall under the jurisdiction of the Historical Enquiries Team, which was formed to investigate unsolved murders that took place during the troubles. However the HET have confirmed that they are not pursuing O'Hare, stating that their job is just to investigate old murders, and not to arrest those who are wanted and on the run.
Willie Frazer from victims group FAIR, who was refused a meeting with the police, said that evidence against the Border Fox existed and accused the PSNI of trying to pass the buck. He highlighted a comment from minister Lord Rooker who said "decisions about the arrest or otherwise of terrorist suspects are matters for the......
Aiding Integration via Everything Ulster
Antrim PSNI have launched a 'Welcome' DVD targetted at ethnic minorities to help them integrate into the community. Produced in Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Slovakian as well as English (no Chinese?) it provides information about accessing emergency services, driving in Northern Ireland, healthcare, education etc. The DVD will be available through local employers, Citizens Advice offices and council/police premises.
At least it will be more constructive than other literature that has been circulated amongst ethnic minorities....
Adams “world’s worst giver ever” via BelfastBlogger.com
Local superstar and occasional politican Gerry Adams has won the title of worst giver in the entire world ever.
Adams beat off stiff competition from Christopher Columbus, who gave Europe syphilis, and Endemol entertainment, who gave the world Big Brother, to claim the prestigeous award.
“Adams’ talent as a uniquely horrible giver lies in his spanning both aspects of bad giving,” droned competition organiser Phil Papers.
“Not only is he an expert at trying to give people stuff they don’t want from him, such as Ian Paisley the title of First Minister or David Trimble his support, but he also refuses to give people stuff they actually want, such as backing for a police service or proper answers to questions about IRA membership,” bored Papers.
“Such...
UUP sink to new low in publicity hunt via BelfastBlogger.com
In a desperate attempt to gain headlines, the UUP have decided to start stating the bleeding obvious.
After Fred Cobain called the Policing Board a “quango”, we can reveal the UUP’s hard hitting attempts to get headlines over the next few weeks.
These include traumatic announcements like…
SHOCK!!! - Boiling water is hot to touch
HORROR!!! - Pope occasionally says catholic mass
DISASTER!!! - Bears really do defecate in woods
Earlier attempts to gain attention by stating that the party was holding internal discussions on the Policing Board did not produce the hoped for result.
“We were only the top story on BBCNI online news for a few hours,” sighed a party insider to a disinterested dog sniffing another one’s arse. “In the old...
Hypocrisy Special! via BelfastBlogger.com
So a new round of talks have started, focussing once again on attempts to get Sinn Fein and the DUP in the same executive.
In many respects, of course, there’s nothing between the parties. They’re both strongly nationalist with a small n, they’re suspicious of the European Union and they believe they’re both on a great crusade with right on they’re side. They also both revel in hypocrisy with the best of the them.
Ian Paisley claims that the DUP “will not be entering into government with criminals”. That rules him out then. He has been found guilty of organising an illegal demonstration. It also rules out his deputy, Peter Robinson, who has been found guilty of unlawful assembly. Not the most henious crimes, but perhaps the good...
Sensible Sam says no… again via BelfastBlogger.com
Nudity-loving DUP man Sammy “Stripper” Wilson has criticised the government for trying to give him and his party more power.
In a move to be welcomed by all people who don’t want decisions on public expenditure taken by sunbathers with no clothes on in France, Sammy castigated the government for trying to give a future assembly powers to raise taxes for policing, like councils can in Britain.
“What if this turns into a stealth tax?” asked Sammy, failing to understand that the NI Assembly is probably the most media-scrutinised body-per-elector in the world, and that people can’t sneeze in there without it being reported.
“What if central government and local politicians don’t agree on police numbers?” queried Sammy, missing the point...
Outside weeing in via BelfastBlogger.com
Bearded funnyman Gerry Adams wowed fans yesterday at the annual Sinn Fein comedy meeting in Dublin.
Adams, who encourages his fans to vote for an agreement that keeps the Queen in Northern Ireland, delivered a hilarious stand-up routine.
The highlight was his side-splitting Police Board tent story, where Adams urinates into a tent marked “PSNI”, whilst complaining about conditions inside the canvas.
The climax to the story comes when a member of the press gasps “You can’t do that here, what if someone phones the police?” Adams’ retort left jaws aching around the room. ”Sure there’s no police round here. If you want to complain, go to Sinn Fein, they’ll sort it out… unless you’re complaining about a good...
IMC report… nothing happens via BelfastBlogger.com
The Independent Monitoring Commission reported yesterday… criminality… political policing… IRA changing… IRA not changing… oh my God this is so boring… whatever happened to the SDLP and UUP… is anyone actually still watching these idiots argue with each other… when does the next series of Big Brother......
50/50 discrimination continues! via BelfastBlogger.com
I love this argument, “We have got to put an end to the inequality of 50:50 employment in the PSNI.”
“This morally repugnant recruitment policy is vastly more expensive than its predecessor. Not only are hundreds of applicants suffering religious discrimination, but a much higher percentage of our taxes is being spent on implementing it.
For every day that 50/50 discrimination continues the list of those who have become victims of this policy continues to grow, generating deep and widespread resentment. John Laird’s Bill now gives the Government an opportunity to get rid of this obnoxious recruitment procedure. So I say to the Government, the opportunity is there – take it.”
The same argument is used in the U.S. against Affirmative Action. In a situations were a...