Tackling drug use amongst young people pg 2

Cybercrime under scrutiny pg 3

Board meeting newspgs 5-7

Resources workshop heldpg 9

POLICING MATTERSNorthern Ireland Policing Board

Focusing on the Board’s work and policing issues across Northern Ireland Issue Forty Six: February 2015

www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 02Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

The Board is an independent body made up of 19 Members to ensure for all the people of Northern Ireland the delivery of an effective, efficient, accountable and impartial police service which will secure the confidence of the whole community by reducing crime and the fear of crime. Click here to see the Board membership. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How to contact us:Northern Ireland Policing BoardWaterside Tower31 Clarendon RoadClarendon Dock, Belfast BT1 3BGTel: 028 9040 8500 Fax: 028 9040 8525Email: information@nipolicingboard.org.ukTextphone: 028 9052 7668Web: visit www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

Disclaimer: Neither the Northern Ireland Policing Board nor its consultants will be held liable for any inaccuracies that may be contained within this document. © Northern Ireland Policing Board

@nipolicingboard

policingboardPictured at the production of ‘Popping Candy’ at

the Courtyard Theatre Newtownabbey are: Ald. John Blair, Newtownabbey PCSP Chair and Brian Mullan,

PCSP Vice Chair (centre) with cast members (l-r): Neil Keery, Heather Laposa, Julie Maxwell and Dan Leith.

The hard hitting, compelling drama, ‘Popping Candy’ performed

by the Spanner in the Works Theatre Company explores the

controversial issues surrounding Mephedrone use.

Speaking about the performance Board Member Dolores Kelly MLA,

Partnership Committee Chair said:

Use of drugs in the community has been identified as a key issue of local concern, which is reflected in the current Policing Plan. The Board are committed to supporting local PCSP initiatives to tackle this issue and this performance is a great opportunity to engage with young people on the negative impact drug use can have, not just on their lives, but within the communities they live in.

‘Popping Candy’ was hosted by PCSPs in Armagh, Banbridge,

Craigavon, Down, Newry & Mourne, Newtownabbey and Omagh.

Concerned about drug abuse amongst young people the Policing Board has provided funding to several PCSPs to host a play addressing this serious issue.

Tackling drug use amongst young people

FRONT COVER CAPTION

The opening scene of ‘Popping Candy’ performed by the Spanner in the Works Theatre Company and hosted by Armagh PCSP.

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 03Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

Members expressed concern that while focus in this area may centre around larger strategic areas such as organised crime and the impact on business, statistics show a high level of offences recorded as ‘violence against the person’. Between 1 November 2013 and 31 October 2014 there were a total of 1740 cyber-enabled incidents recorded. Of these, 1008 did not contain a crime (i.e. non-notifiable offences or incidents where the circumstances did not amount to an offence being committed). The remaining 732 incidents contained one or more crimes (amounting to 773 recorded crimes in total).

Members agreed to seek further information from the PSNI on its strategy to deal with cybercrime given the high levels of offences recorded as ‘violence against the person’.

In 2014 the Board commissioned Millward Brown Ulster to undertake a public survey, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, to examine levels of community concern about cybercrime as well as understanding of PSNI’s response to it. The results of the survey pose a number of challenges for the PSNI, especially how they plan to engage with the public and ensure the whole community have confidence in their ability to tackle this ever growing area of criminality.

As a result of the issues the Board have consistently articulated, PSNI have confirmed that they are undertaking a review of their response to tackling cybercrime in Northern Ireland, with a view to establishing a dedicated Cyber Unit which would ensure a consistent approach to the investigation and management of cybercrime.

Cybercrime under scrutinyAt the latest Performance Committee Meeting Members discussed the PSNI recording of cybercrime and the nature of outcomes, in particular, charge, summons, caution and discretionary disposals.

Cyber-enabled Crime Incidents Recorded 1 November 2013 – 31 October 2014

Offence Category Offences Recorded

Of those offences recorded, the number since detected, by method of disposal

Charge Summons Caution Discretionary disposal

312 8 8 6 761 4 2 1 018 1 3 0 1

36 0 0 0 07 0 0 0 0

13 1 0 0 06 0 0 0 0

3 0 0 0 0

35 8 4 0 0

60 10 0 0 0

19 3 2 0 0

203 0 8 0 3

773 35 27 7 12

Violence against the person

HarassmentThreats to kill Assaults with and without injury

Sexual OffencesSexual activity All other sexual offences

TheftBlackmailOther Theft

Criminal Damage

Other crimes against societyOther offences against the state and public order (breach non molestation orders)Obscene publications etc. and protected sexual materialAll other crimes against society

Other fraud Fraud by false representation etc.

Total

to view the report

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 04Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

The event which formed part of the NI Human Rights Festival was a follow-up to Focus: the Identity Trust’s launch of its All Island Trans Manifesto earlier in the year.

During proceedings the Policing Board’s Human Rights Advisor, Alyson Kilpatrick

was presented with a ‘Transgender Champion Award’ in recognition of the Board’s human rights thematic review work which has sought to promote the rights of transgender persons in their dealings with the police and also to assist with raising public awareness of the wider societal issues, particularly hate crime.

The Board recently received an Onus Gold award in the Workplace Charter on Domestic Violence for its commitment to supporting victims of domestic abuse and raising awareness on the range of local support services available.

Speaking about the award Board Chair Anne Connolly said:

The Board is delighted to have received this award for the second year running. Domestic Violence is a serious problem in our society and we must do all we can to eradicate it. The ‘safe place’ initiative is a great way for organisations to play their part and I would like to thank staff in the Board’s Policy Branch for all the work that was done to ensure we received the Onus Gold Award this year. Tackling domestic violence will continue to be a focus for the

Onus Safe Place Gold AwardTransgender champion award for Board’s Human Rights Advisor

Board and we will work with the PSNI and other partners to reduce these serious and far too frequent incidents.

for more information on Safe Place

for more information on the Workplace Charter.

Pictured with the Onus Gold Award is Gillian Robinson, Board Human Right’s Assistant.

The Board’s Human Rights Advisor Alyson Kilpatrick speaking at the conference

As part of the NI Human Rights Festival, Focus: the Identity Trust recently held the first ever event to address the Human Rights issues specific to the needs of transgender and intersex individuals in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 05Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

In his report to Board Members the Chief

Constable told Members that while a

balanced budget would be delivered

for next year, one of the impacts of this

would be reduced recruitment plans.

The Chief Constable also reported that

early figures from the PSNI domestic

abuse Christmas campaign indicate

that there has been an 11% rise in the

number of incidents reported to police,

an average of about 90 incidents per

day. Whilst this is a shocking figure,

he was also encouraged that more

people are getting the confidence to

report this heinous crime.

Police Performance 3rd Quarter Update

At the meeting the Chief Constable

presented and was questioned on the

3rd quarter (1 April 2014 – 23 January

2015) Police Performance report against

the Policing Plan 2014/15. Speaking

about overall performance the Chief

Constable told Members that over the

last ten years the PSNI has reduced

crime by 13%, during a period where

the organisation has reduced in size

by 30%. He commended this as a

remarkable achievement and one that

has been delivered in partnership with

communities.

Questioned about the 12.5% rise in drug

offences the Chief Constable explained

that this can be indicative of increased

proactive policing in this area. ACC

Kerr also acknowledged that while drug

seizures were slightly down, the street

value of the drugs being seized was

up by £300k compared to the previous

year. He also highlighted the challenge

of keeping up with the changing drugs

markets which now includes new

psychoactive drugs, particularly popular

with young people.

At the Board’s first Meeting in Public of 2015 Board Chair Anne

Connolly welcomed the additional £20m allocation for policing

in the final budget settlement, however emphasised the need

to be mindful of the continuing pressures on resources. She

also stressed the need for PSNI to keep the public informed of

the impact the restructuring of Policing Districts will have on

police service delivery.

continued

Board Meeting News

February Board Meeting in Public

Board Chair Anne Connolly speaking at the February Meeting in Public

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 06Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

to view this month’s written answers to Chief Constable Questions

to view the Chief Constable’s report to Board Members

Concerns about the increase in road

fatalities (up by 31.7% in the twelve

months to 31 December 2014)

was also raised at the meeting.

Acknowledging this serious issue T/

ACC Todd also highlighted that 270

people had been caught drink driving

over the Christmas and a total of

3000 for the last year. Whist it was

tragic that 3 people had already been

killed on our roads since the start of

the year; this was 6 less

than the same period last year.

Other issues raised at the meeting

included the recent devices found

across Belfast over a 24 hour period,

the ‘Hooded Men’ investigation, and

On the Runs issues.

Board Meeting News continued

Positive Outcomes

• There has been a 5.7% increase in the number

of crimes with a domestic motivation reported to

the police in the period 1 April 2014 to 19 January

2015 compared to the same period in 2013/14.

• The number of burglaries where older people are

the victims has fallen by 7.6% in the period 1 April

2014 to 19 January 2015 compared to the same

period in 2013/14.

• The number of Oppressive Behaviour allegations

has fallen by 18.3% in the 12 months to 30

November 2014 and fallen by 26.4% in the period

1 April 2014 to 30 November 2014 compared to

the same period in 2013/14.

• The number of allegations of Incivility has fallen by

10.0% in the 12 months to 30 November 2014

and fallen by 15.4% in the period 1 April 2014 to

30 November 2014 compared to the same period

in 2013/14.

Areas of Concern

• The level of overall crime has increased by 2.1%*

• The overall Outcome Rate has fallen by 0.6%

points. In particular the outcome rate for rape

crime has fallen by 6.8% points.

• The number of domestic burglaries is down by

0.8%.

• There is an increase in the number of people killed

in road collisions specifically:

- Overall Fatalities are up by 31.7% in the twelve

months to 31 December 2014

- The number of Young People (16-24 years)

who have been killed or seriously injured has

increased by 45.7% in the period 1 April to 31

October 2014.

* (if the number of recorded Making off without Payment (MOWP) crimes are excluded, the increase is 1.3%).

Performance Report – key figures

to view the latest performance report

continued

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 07Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

At the monthly meeting of the Policing Board, Members considered the decision by the Northern Ireland Assembly to extend full powers to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Speaking about the new oversight role for the Board Chair Anne Connolly said:

The decision by the Northern Ireland Assembly to extend the full powers of the NCA to Northern Ireland brings an important new accountability role for the Board.

There will be a significant amount of work to do by the Board over the next few months in terms of putting in place the arrangements and measures to support this scrutiny role before the NCA becomes fully operational.

With the full introduction of the NCA, the Chief Constable will also have a key role in terms of operations and the Board looks forward to discussions on the outworking of the new arrangements over the next few months.

The PSNI have put on record the benefits and expertise that NCA will bring to policing operations here, particularly in the field of asset recovery, and the Board will be looking forward to seeing some results in the time ahead.

Board Members raised a series of questions on historical investigations and the process of disclosure of material to coronial inquests, particularly on the Sean Brown case.

The Chief Constable reiterated his publically stated view that ‘..delay in the disclosure of information has been a chronic feature of the Legacy Inquest System. Delay not only increases hurt felt by families; it also erodes trust in the PSNI’s ability to deal with the past; and causes huge damage to confidence in policing the present day’. Clarifications were provided around the provision of information to a number of inquest hearings and the need for case prioritisation to be established which would assist in a more effective process and the service in deploying resources with the greatest efficiency.

Board Meeting News continued

National Crime Agency Legacy investigations

In setting out the complex legal and financial framework that currently exists, the Chief Constable said that, in advance of the establishment of the Historical Investigations Unit, the PSNI, through the work of the Legacy Investigations Branch, will meet its legal obligations and efforts will be made to improving communication and transparency in respect of how this work is conducted.

The footage of the February Meeting in Public is available to view on the Board’s Facebook page by

clicking hereclicking here

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 08Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

On the budget, the current plans in PSNI to address the £51m budget reduction and perhaps more importantly the impact that these cuts would have on the delivery of Policing Services in 2015/16 was discussed. The subsequent allocation of an additional £20m by the DOJ will help deliver a balanced budget but there are still some difficult decisions to be made by the Board and PSNI in advance of the Board approving

The Board’s Chair recently attended the launch of a new book published on policing reforms in Northern Ireland. Drawing largely on publicly available material, the book titled ‘Policing in Northern Ireland Delivering the New Beginning?’ is an account by Professor Sir Desmond Rea, the Board’s Chair for its first eight and a half years, and Robin Masefield, the senior civil servant who headed the team with responsibility for implementing the recommendations of the Independent Commission. Published by Liverpool University Press it details the policing reforms that have taken place in Northern Ireland as recommended in the Patten Report 1999, covering the establishment and work of the Policing Board in 2001 to its reconstitution in 2009. The individual policing topics that the book addresses remain relevant to policing and examine issues such as service composition; promoting public confidence in policing and policing with the community; upholding human rights in the context of policing civil unrest and terrorism; holding a police service to account while providing the support it requires; and dealing with the legacy of inter-communal violence. The book’s foreword is written by former Human Rights Advisor to the Board Sir Keir Starmer. More information can be found by

the 2015/16 PSNI Budget Allocation before the end of March.

There was also a very positive first engagement with PSNI on the development of a new People Strategy 2015/19 and measures to monitor the implementation of the Strategy were discussed. The People Strategy will be further considered by the Resources Committee in the coming months.

Resources

workshop held

DCC Drew Harris and David Best, Head of Finance PSNI discuss the police budget with Members at the workshop

The Resources Committee recently held a very useful workshop with senior PSNI officers to consider the 2015/16 PSNI Budget Allocation and the draft 2015/19 PSNI People Strategy.

Book on police reform published

Pictured at the book launch are (l-r): Justice Minister David Ford MLA, Board Chair Anne Connolly, Sir Desmond Rea, former Board Chair, Sir Keir Starmer, former Human Rights Advisor to the Board and Robin Masefield.

clicking hereclicking here

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 09Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

Board to hold public meeting in Craigavon The Board will be holding a public meeting in Craigavon on Thursday 26 March 2015. The Policing Plan 2015/16 will be published at the meeting and findings from research conducted by the Board with PSNI officers and young people in the area will be a focus for discussion.

Check the Board’s website / Facebook page for more details on the meeting venue and timings.

Board Schedule of Meetings 2015

The Board Meetings in Public 2015 will take place at 2:30pm in Waterside Tower on the following dates:

On Friday 20 February 2015, the Board will publish its 10th Human Rights Annual Report which contains 9 new recommendations and pays particular attention to areas the Board feels need improvement.

Over the past 10 years, the

PSNI has implemented over 200

recommendations made by the

Policing Board which have improved

how the police meet their human

rights responsibilities in areas such as

public order, engagement with young

people and use of force.

The publication launch is by invitation

only but will be streamed live on the

Board’s youtube site and you can

tweet your questions and comments

@nipolicingboard #nipblive.

Board’s Human Rights Annual Report 2014 launch

to access the Board’s youtube site.

Thursday 5 March 2015 Thursday 6 August 2015 (provisional)

Thursday 2 April 2015 Thursday 3 September 2015

Thursday 7 May 2015 Thursday 1 October 2015

Thursday 4 June 2015 Thursday 5 November 2015

Thursday 2 July 2015 Thursday 3 December 2015

Human Rights

2014Annual Report

Monitoring the

compliance of the

Police Service of

Northern Ireland

with the Human

Rights Act 1998.

You can view proceedings live through the Board’s youtube channel and follow us on Twitter.

Issue Forty Six: February 2015

POLICING MATTERS 10Northern Ireland Policing Board

Connect with us: www.nipolicingboard.org.uk

The use of discretion by the PSNI to deliver a proportionate and swift response to minor offending has been examined in a new inspection report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI).

The recently published report, examined how the PSNI used discretionary disposals along with fixed penalty notices and penalty notices for disorder, to deal with less serious offences that did not have to be referred to the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland or the courts.

CJINI publish report on Police Discretion

Participants in the Oxford University Foreign Service Programme recently met with Board Member Professor Brice Dickson to hear about the work of the Policing Board.

Board Chair congratulates newest police recruitsBoard Chair Anne Connolly recently attended the latest graduation ceremony for 39 PSNI officers. Speaking about the newest police recruits she said:

On behalf of the Board I would like to congratulate all the newly qualified officers. Whilst choosing

to protect the public, keep the peace and work with the community will be challenging at times it is also extremely rewarding. Policing is a very worthwhile job and I wish all the new officers long and successful careers.

to view a copy of the report.

Four New Year Honours have come to policing in Northern Ireland. Recently retired Chief Constable Matt Baggott has received a Knighthood while three Queen’s Police Medals (QPM) have been awarded to serving officers within the PSNI.

Congratulations to all on their awards which recognise their significant contributions to policing over many years.

New Year Honours for the PSNI