Police chiefs must fight terror or make way for those who can

The car bomb which exploded outside Newtownhamilton police station last Thursday evening marked a watershed in the service provided to the people of Northern Ireland by the PSNI.

The failure of the police to respond effectively abandoned the public to the risk of death and serious injury.

The result was a tactical victory for the terrorists, who have proved it is they - and not the lawful authorities - who set the agenda in border areas.

The members of the Fire Service are to be commended for their courageous actions in saving life. But why has the security of the population been surrendered to an accident of fate?

People understand the real risks posed to police officers in this area, and appreciate the sophisticated lengths to which terrorists will go to murder police officers. A robust counter-terrorist strategy would have ensured contingency plans were in place to respond to this emergency. A bomb had been planted at the same location the previous week, and promises were made that there would be increased security. Such unfulfilled promises totally undermine community confidence in the police.

The real question is: why has the Secretary of State and the Policing Board allowed the security situation to deteriorate to such an extent that the police cannot provide protection to every member of the public?

The most basic human right is the right to life, and it is clear that in certain areas of Northern Ireland the police are no longer in a position to provide this protection. South Armagh is not the only area where the police cannot ensure public protection.

The Deputy Chief Constable, in her blog on April 27, said she "struggles to understand the thinking of those who plant a bomb in a quiet country town, late at night, outside a heavily fortified police station".

If senior police commanders now struggle to comprehend the ideological and criminal motives for dissident activity, there is little prospect of an effective security strategy being delivered.

The Deputy Chief Constable now seeks to assure the public that the Police Service will be more visible in the next few weeks and months. What does that actually mean if the police cannot stop terrorists planting bombs across Northern Ireland, and evacuate the public when an attack occurs?

Many people will also struggle to understand why policing in Northern Ireland has the appearance of being a shambles. One day the Chief Constable has all the officers he needs; the next day he needs to retain the Full-time Reserve. Is this the creation of security policy on the hoof?

Retention of the Full-time Reserve is a practical first step, but it is not enough.

If the situation has arrived where the police can no longer function to protect the lives of the public and prevent terrorism, it is the responsibility of the Chief Constable to seek military aid to the civil power through the Justice Minister. Terry Spence, the chairman of the Police Federation, has suggested that the Government is sleepwalking into a new terrorist campaign. I would suggest that the Labour Government has made a calculation to allow the dissident problem to fester without a robust response, so as to bolster Sinn Fein political support within republican areas.

As a consequence, the capacity to deal with terrorism has been neutered. Sadly, the pattern leading up to the Omagh bomb in 1998 is being repeated. The security lessons have not been learned, and another atrocity is lurking in the shadows.

Northern Ireland is a unique place. If the Newtownhamilton car bomb had been in an English market town and the police had failed to respond, the Chief Constable, the senior command team, and the Home Secretary would have been forced to resign.

The public has the right to security. If the police cannot provide public protection in the face of violent terrorism, then the Chief Constable must require the Government to provide him with the necessary specialist military support. A future repeat of the failed security response in Newtownhamilton should lead to resignations within the police and the Policing Board.