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Dissident attacks prompt calls for special PSNI unit
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Calls have been made for a specialist police unit to deal with dissident incidents amid fears that PSNI caution over the heightened terrorist threat could be putting lives at risk.
This week it emerged police officers left a car believed to have been used as the getaway vehicle in the bombing of Newry courthouse unsecured for two days.
Police didn't secure the scene because they feared being lured into a dissident trap — instead allowing firefighters to put out a blaze in the potentially booby-trapped vehicle.
It follows similar incidents where the PSNI have taken hours — in some cases days and weeks — to investigate crime reports because of fears of an ambush.
Last month people were able to walk past a van containing a mortar bomb in Keady after officers were slow to cordon off the area.
Police also took 12 hours to respond to reports that thieves were stealing an ATM from McCabe’s SuperValu store in Newtownbutler, while last April the PSNI was criticised after waiting 17 days to search for a suspect device near Rosslea.
Sinn Fein Policing Board member Daithi McKay warned that people’s lives could be put at risk, and has called for a specialist unit to deal with difficult incidents.
“These are dangerous situations,” he said. “We saw the threat when a device went off in Newry. It could have done a lot of damage and killed people in the area.
“There is obviously public concern about police response times for some incidents, and there is a duty on the Chief Constable and the PSNI to look at these.
“If the PSNI is unable to adequately respond to these incidents, then it is worth considering looking at a specific unit or specially trained officers to deal with such issues. That could lead to better response times and decrease the risk to the public.”
Last October residents in Clady had to seal off a road after police did not turn up at the scene of a suspect van abandoned in the Tyrone village.
Independent councillor Gerard Foley, one of those involved in the cordon, said the community “was left out to dry”.
“They were the ones on the front line,” he said. “It was the community that checked the van. It was the lives of the community at risk, it wasn't the lives of police officers.
“What happened here last year was a fiasco. We are still waiting for the PSNI to answer our questions about this incident.”
A spokesman for the Police Federation said each incident has to be judged on its own merits.
“There is a serious concern for officers’ safety and they cannot move too quickly when there is a threat,” he said.
In the Newry incident, officers received reports of the burning car at Dromintee 20 minutes after the blast on February 22, but left it for two days without forensic examination. It was later removed by residents without police knowledge, before being recovered.
Defending the PSNI’s handling of the incident yesterday, Chief Constable Matt Baggott said he would not pressure officers to move into a situation where their lives could be at risk.
“We have to take our time... we have to be mindful of the risks,” he said.
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amazed that after all this time no lesson has been learnt....
dissidents, and those involved in dissident activity, if the brittish government offered you all the counties you could name, ireland would still remain divided.
dathi mc kay, have you forgotten fallen comrades who were tortured under "special policing".... has republicanism lost its way??
the current financial climate is playing directly into the hands of dissident "republicans", thugs wrapped in a tricolour with no rhyme or reason or support by any sensible republican in ireland, however when mckay makes such stupid stupid statements, its easy to see why many have become disillusioned with SF ever increasing boundary securing attitude..
fed up!
Posted by laughing out loud | 30.03.10, 10:49 GMT
Any chance of my last comment being posted, BT, or are you going to allow censorship get in the way of the facts.
Posted by Ulysses32 | 11.03.10, 16:08 GMT
Tell me D Man, was the behaviour of the Special Patrol Group fantasy.
This unit was formed in the early 1970s and was disbanded in 1980 after two of its members were convicted of terrorist offences including kidnap and murder.The two, John Weir and Billy McCaughey implicated their colleagues in a range of crimes including giving weapons, information and transport to loyalist paramilitaries as well as carrying out shooting and bombing attacks of their own.
I'm assuming you only see security forces through evangelical glasses.
Posted by Ulysses32 | 11.03.10, 13:37 GMT
Bren, im amazed that BT actually posted youre comment, it is at best fantasy, its easy to throw around these fairy stories when you are never going to have to back up what you are saying, im assuming you know very little of the work done by the security forces in preventing civil war in this country for 40 years
Posted by D Man | 10.03.10, 21:45 GMT
"All policing must operate withing the boundries set for PSNI. Special = They are not accountable for their actions, and can work outside the boundries we set for our police." ~ what an uninformed moronic statement!!!
______
Ah yes lets make sure we all play by the rules and be accountable .... oh wait a minute, maybe someone should tell the dissidents how naughty they are to be planting bombs .... damn it they should have a time out!!!
Posted by Not Amused | 10.03.10, 21:42 GMT
I always love the comments about police being in chippies and coffee shops- how dare they eat at work!! Imagine being allowed to have a meal break at work... scandlous!! No doubt if they were in the station eating they would be criticised for this too. I really do have sympathy for the PSNI at times. No matter what happens in this country they are to blame and always in the wrong. Still I suppose its easier to blame them than actually hope people take responsibility for their own actions or our illustrious politicians actually doing something constructive to earn their huge salaries.
Posted by Amused | 10.03.10, 20:19 GMT
So Ian McKee, you suggest that the police not be allowed to eat lunch or dinner until the dissident threat is dealt with? A sort of "off to your bed without supper" punishment for not defeating the dissident threat fast enough?
Whereas Johnny B wants Bruce Willis from Die Hard to turn up?
Seriously folks, you have got to wise up and realise that the dissidents will only be defeated by a long slow campaign of detective work, infiltration/ informer creation and political progress. All police units and political parties will have a role to play. There will be no "silver bullet" solution. And before you sneer from the sidelines at the police who are doing their best, remember that some of those you mock will sadly and inevitably be murdered before this is all over.
Posted by OldSod | 10.03.10, 17:12 GMT
well said clare, it does seem to apear that less comments are getting posted here.
and the majority of comments are lefty views, makes you wander is the person at the top is discriminating!
Posted by tango | 10.03.10, 17:03 GMT
Hmmm, what should we call this "special psni unit"? How about Special Branch?
Posted by James | 10.03.10, 16:57 GMT
Special..... No I don't think so.
All policing must operate withing the boundries set for PSNI. Special = They are not accountable for their actions, and can work outside the boundries we set for our police.
We tried this before..... Several times
Posted by James | 10.03.10, 16:42 GMT
Surely the police should be tackling dissidents anyway. Isn't that their job? Why do we need a special unit?
Posted by Michael Wabznasm | 10.03.10, 16:05 GMT
A special unit to deal with dissidents is a great idea. Get the PSNI officers out of the chippies and coffee shops and doing some real work!
Posted by Ian McKee | 10.03.10, 16:03 GMT
Wait. So Sinn Fein is calling for the creation of Special Branch? Are you kidding? Folks, if you start creating these 'elite' units, you are right back in the old days. They begin to think they are above the law they are supposed to uphold. You better also create a Special Oversight unit. With a lot of civilians in there. Or, Instead, you could train the regulars a little better? no?
Posted by johnymac | 10.03.10, 15:36 GMT
I agree Keith, you couldn't make it up... Any previous "special" unit the RUC ever set up blazed around the province shooting at anyone that looked at them funny. A lot of people died, and now Sinn Fein want replacement paramilitary style police officers, while calling for investigations into the 1980s "shoot to kill policy" killings.
Bizarre!!!
Posted by Bren | 10.03.10, 15:24 GMT
Well done, Keith for finding something from the past that had the word "special" in it. That's about the only thing Special Branch has in common with the above article or any recommendations.
Aren't you special.
Posted by Ulysses32 | 10.03.10, 15:21 GMT
Why are you getting few comments to the articles these days? Because you only print what conforms to your left wing ideals, which sadly for you, isn't the majority, and people know that now.
Posted by clare | 10.03.10, 14:10 GMT
Useless Police service, we need a Police force who can stand up to these criminals, not some pen pushing idiots who leave the community feeling helpless. Imagine how american police would deal with this, straight in, take out the bad guys job done. Pathetic Service of Northern Ireland
Posted by Jonny B | 10.03.10, 13:43 GMT
It makes sense, these idiots need to be locked up. This needs to be nipped in the bud now before another 'Omagh' happens.
These morons offer nothing to anyone..
Posted by big john, jhc hardware | 10.03.10, 13:32 GMT
'Sinn Fein Policing Board member Daithi McKay... ...called for a specialist unit to deal with difficult incidents. '
Special Branch? Which SF wanted closed down. You couldn't make it up.
Posted by Keith | 10.03.10, 10:40 GMT