Daily
Dispatch Thursday 19th October 2006
CONVERY:
STAND BY POLICE WHEN THEY DO RIGHT
SDLP Councillor Pat Convery said there are two sides to accountable
policing and one of them is to stand by the police when they do
the job of protecting the community properly.
Cllr Convery, who is chair of the West Belfast District Policing
Partnership, said: “The police came up against the sharp
end in Ballymurphy last night after a young man was seriously
injured in a punishment beating. They responded quite properly
to an emergency and they were met with a hail of missiles. No
one who believes in accountable policing, or indeed policing of
any kind, can do other than condemn this attack.
“The police have been criticised by some people for not
sorting out the feud in Ballymurphy, when they do make an effort
to stop criminality, they are attacked. People can’t ride
two horses on this issue.
“No serious person can claim that the PSNI is not held to
account through the various institutions, by the SDLP and others.
No one can point anywhere at a more accountable police service.
So it is time to get off the fence. It really is a simple choice
and now is the time to make it. Either we work with the most accountable
service anywhere, or we put ourselves at the mercy of the breakers
of legs and every petty thug who can get his hands on a firearm.
“One out of every five police officers comes from a nationalist
background. There must be no more bad-mouthing of officers trying
to do their best to help the community. There must be no more
excuses made for those who attack them when they try to arrest
joy-riders or leg-breakers. Last night’s rioters do not
represent the people of Ballymurphy on the issue of policing,
and it is time all community leaders told them so in no uncertain
terms.”
