21/05/2004

Decision on Andersonstown Police Station deferred

The Northern Ireland Policing Board’s Corporate Policy Committee has announced it is to defer a decision on the future of the Andersonstown Police Station in West Belfast.

Meeting at its Belfast headquarters on Thursday, the Committee said it would be deferring the decision until a meeting of the Policing Board in June.

Announcing the decision, Policing Board Chairman, Professor Desmond Rea said: “Members welcomed the detailed overview of the background to the proposed closure by PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland and west Belfast District Commander Chief Superintendent Cecil Craig, and following discussion agreed to consult further with the Belfast District Policing Partnership and its West Belfast sub-group before asking the full Board for a decision on 3 June.

"The Board is here to ensure that we have an effective and efficient police service and the closure of any station requires the approval of the Board.”

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid today briefed the Policing Board about extensive progress in the development of the new Crime Operations Department.

The briefing detailed how the creation of Crime Operations Department was essential for the implementation of most of the recommendations contained in the Stevens, Crompton and Blakey reports into serious crime investigation and gave a progress report on each recommendation.

The board heard how, for the first time, responsibility for province-wide investigations into Organised Crime, Terrorist Offences and Serious Crime (murder, attempted murder and sexual offences) and for Intelligence gathering and management, fall within one Department under the command of one Assistant Chief Constable.

Crime Operations Department was formed in March 2004 to build PSNI capacity to investigate serious and organised crime in the most professional way and in line with guidelines set out by the Association of Chief Police Officers UK-wide.

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