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11/12/2015
Other News In Brief
£750,000 Cocaine Seized In Co Armagh
Police have seized cocaine, worth an estimated street value of £750,000, in Portadown, Co Armagh.
The discovery was made on Wednesday night.
SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dorlores Kelly said: "Without a doubt were it not for the diligent and thorough work of the PSNI that these drugs would soon be in circulation across the North.
"The seizure of such a large quantity of Class A drugs is part of a worrying trend that there has been an increase of hard drug use in the Northern Ireland.
"The number of drug seizures this year has almost doubled since 2005 and the amount of cocaine powder recovered by police is almost three times the amount confiscated last year.
"Increases in drug use can be directly linked to an increase in criminality. We must hope that these figures are an indication that the police are getting better at combating drug dealers rather than an increase in drug trafficking on our streets."
Newly Developed Community Hub In Co L'Derry Opens
A newly developed Causeway Rural and Urban Network Community Hub has opened in Coleraine, Co L'Derry.
Funding of £1.8 million from the Department for Social Development (DSD) through its Modernisation Fund along with £462,000 funding from the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers (OFMDFM) Social Investment Fund has enabled Causeway Rural and Urban Network to complete the new build.
Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey said: "This Community Hub will be an invaluable resource centre and is a welcome boost for the people of this area.
"Through my Department's Modernisation Fund, community organisations can benefit financially to help meet the needs of vulnerable members of our society. I welcome the completion of this project as it will further enhance community cohesion and participation.
"By targeting resources in a way that has maximum impact, this Community Hub not only delivers the aims of the Modernisation Fund programme but demonstrates it in a practical way."
£462,000 of the funding is from OFMDFM through the Executive's Social Investment Fund.
PSNI Criticised Over Christmas Office Closures
Ulster Unionist MLA and Policing Board Member Ross Hussey has criticised moves by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to close police enquiry offices over the Christmas period and various public holidays thereafter.
Mr Hussey said: "I have been informed that the only enquiry office in Northern Ireland that will be open on Christmas Day is Musgrave Street in Belfast.
"This to me is a dangerous withdrawal of access to police over public holidays. Whilst I accept police officers are on duty 24/7 365 days a year, many people feel that the physical presence of police staff at enquiry offices is also necessary.
"I know from my time as a police officer that people called into police stations at Christmas time for a variety of reasons, including to report assaults, to seek assistance or even to deal with sudden deaths.
"Whether it is to report a crime or even produce driving documents the removal of an additional day is a backward step.
"I believe that the level of savings which will result from this will be relatively insignificant in terms of the totality of the police budget, because the station enquiry office staff are civil servants whose pay would not equate to that of a senior Constable."
(CD/JP)
Police have seized cocaine, worth an estimated street value of £750,000, in Portadown, Co Armagh.
The discovery was made on Wednesday night.
SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dorlores Kelly said: "Without a doubt were it not for the diligent and thorough work of the PSNI that these drugs would soon be in circulation across the North.
"The seizure of such a large quantity of Class A drugs is part of a worrying trend that there has been an increase of hard drug use in the Northern Ireland.
"The number of drug seizures this year has almost doubled since 2005 and the amount of cocaine powder recovered by police is almost three times the amount confiscated last year.
"Increases in drug use can be directly linked to an increase in criminality. We must hope that these figures are an indication that the police are getting better at combating drug dealers rather than an increase in drug trafficking on our streets."
Newly Developed Community Hub In Co L'Derry Opens
A newly developed Causeway Rural and Urban Network Community Hub has opened in Coleraine, Co L'Derry.
Funding of £1.8 million from the Department for Social Development (DSD) through its Modernisation Fund along with £462,000 funding from the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers (OFMDFM) Social Investment Fund has enabled Causeway Rural and Urban Network to complete the new build.
Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey said: "This Community Hub will be an invaluable resource centre and is a welcome boost for the people of this area.
"Through my Department's Modernisation Fund, community organisations can benefit financially to help meet the needs of vulnerable members of our society. I welcome the completion of this project as it will further enhance community cohesion and participation.
"By targeting resources in a way that has maximum impact, this Community Hub not only delivers the aims of the Modernisation Fund programme but demonstrates it in a practical way."
£462,000 of the funding is from OFMDFM through the Executive's Social Investment Fund.
PSNI Criticised Over Christmas Office Closures
Ulster Unionist MLA and Policing Board Member Ross Hussey has criticised moves by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to close police enquiry offices over the Christmas period and various public holidays thereafter.
Mr Hussey said: "I have been informed that the only enquiry office in Northern Ireland that will be open on Christmas Day is Musgrave Street in Belfast.
"This to me is a dangerous withdrawal of access to police over public holidays. Whilst I accept police officers are on duty 24/7 365 days a year, many people feel that the physical presence of police staff at enquiry offices is also necessary.
"I know from my time as a police officer that people called into police stations at Christmas time for a variety of reasons, including to report assaults, to seek assistance or even to deal with sudden deaths.
"Whether it is to report a crime or even produce driving documents the removal of an additional day is a backward step.
"I believe that the level of savings which will result from this will be relatively insignificant in terms of the totality of the police budget, because the station enquiry office staff are civil servants whose pay would not equate to that of a senior Constable."
(CD/JP)
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28 March 2007
House of Lords vote for ‘50/50’ police force
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The House of Lords has renewed the 50/50 recruitment rule for the PSNI by a majority of 44. It puts into practice a recommendation made in 1999 by Lord Patten that the local police force should be split evenly between Catholics and Protestants. The result of the vote was 141 to 97.
01 December 2006
Community support Police Ombudsman's role
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The Police Ombudsman's Office has today learned that it has equal levels of support from both Protestants and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland. According to the findings of an Independent survey, over 80% from both communities believe that the Ombudsman's Office is helping to improve the quality of policing.
20 March 2017
PSNI Announce New Opening Hours At Local Police Stations
The PSNI has announced new opening hours at a number of police stations in Northern Ireland. Police said "advances in technology" have made it possible for them to deliver new ways of reporting crime, filling out official forms and engaging with officers.
PSNI Announce New Opening Hours At Local Police Stations
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Rain clearing away east by early evening with some clear spells but a few showers likely to affect the North coast and other areas towards dawn, remaining breezy and mild overnight. Minimum temperature 9 °C.
