Councillor Marie Cush began her first West Belfast DPP meeting as chair by highlighting her disappointment that many targets had not been met.

Ms Cush made the comments after Chief Superintendent Gary White made his latest report at the District Policing Partnership meeting.

As part of the presentation it was reported that violent crime has increased in west Belfast by 29 percent.

Although many areas had seen improvement since the same period last year, many targets still appeared in red at the meeting last Thursday, September 25.

Ms Cush added: “To begin with I don’t find the targets that have been set very realistic, and now we hear that many have not been met.

“Just looking at the over view it is apparent that a lot more needs to be done.”

The report, detailing crime statistics in west Belfast from April to June 2008, showed that the level of violent crime has risen to 413 incidents from 384 in the same period last year.

Awareness campaigns on the issues of carrying and using weapons in public and violence against women, as well as the aim to increase the number of drug seizures and to increase the number of alcohol seizures from minors all appeared in the red.

Defending the report Chief Superintendent White said: “Just because a target is now appearing in red does not mean that targets have not and are not going to be met.

“Many of the items included in this campaign are part of awareness campaigns.

“These simply have not been completed yet as they are based on a year long strategy.

“The PSNI are currently carrying out a level of dip sampling in the area. This is testing the level of customer satisfaction with the police service and the level of victim satisfaction with police in relation to domestic violence and domestic burglary.”

Superintendent White continued: “This is showing in the red at the minute because the statistics will not be available until our next meeting.

“The number of joint initiatives in partnership with the DPP is also showing in red but again by the end of the year this will be showing in green.

“It is important to realise that we are being honest.

“These campaigns are focussing on the issues that were decided on at the beginning of the year.

“It is important to realise that other targets are being met.”

Many other targets had been successfully met. Domestic burglaries had reduced by 19 percent, beating its original target of 5 percent. Arrests for dangerous driving are up by nine and the number of arrests for driving while disqualified was up 17. Emergency response times were also up by 5.8 percent.