Cree expresses concern at ‘support for vigilantism’

Ulster Unionist MLA for North Down and Northern Ireland Policing Board member Leslie Cree has expressed his concern that support for vigilantism would appear to be on the increase as a result of the police’s failure to deliver. John Topping of the University of Ulster has conducted the research and has stated that the lack of effective community policing has fuelled support for vigilantism.

Expressing his concern Mr. Cree who sits on the Community Engagement at the Board stated, "I am concerned that the findings of this report appear to suggest that an inability to deliver effective community policing has resulted in a desire for the continuance of paramilitary policing in certain parts of the community.

"A paramilitary response to local criminality is simply unacceptable in Northern Ireland. There is no place for summary justice.

"I will be urging the police to improve their community policing and to effectively engage with local communities. Following the recent Strategic Review, it is clear that there are real problems at the heart of policing in Northern Ireland. At the Policing Board, I will be asking the police to detail what actions they are taking to resolve dissatisfaction and to improve the quality of policing in loyalist and republican communities. Immediate action needs to be taken to ensure a quality and consistent service.

"I would also call upon those who are disaffected by their community policing to attend their local District Policing Partnership (DPP). It is through DPPs that local voices and concerns are heard. Engagement and commitment are needed from both police and communities."