Newry Armagh Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Drunken PSNI member conviction was result of local community holding PSNI to account - Curran

Published: 15 May, 2009

Sinn Féin councillor Brendan Curran has said that the recent sentencing of a PSNI member who admitted waving a loaded pistol during a drunken confrontation with two women in Newry was totally unacceptable. However, the local DPP member has said that the individual's arrest was a positive step for community policing in the town.

Cllr Curran who was chairperson of the DPP at the time and had reported the incident said,

"While people will rightly feel that this sentencing was too lenient for an act that was totally unacceptable, I feel that the arrest of this man is a step forward for community policing in Newry.

"Following the incident a member of the local community who felt uncomfortable going to the PSNI approached me as a member of the DPP and I reported it on her behalf. I commend this person for recognising the seriousness of the incident and bringing the information to me.

"I must commend the PSNI members who subsequently arrested the man who had fled the scene - if this has happened in the old days of policing I have no doubt that he would not have been arrested and a cover up would have followed.

"This incident shows the potential of public engaged with their DPPs - we must hold the PSNI to account.

Cllr Curran concluded by saying that having Sinn Féin members on the DPPs can and does make a difference to people's lives as this was just one of many incidents where republicans have brought accountability to the PSNI