Kilcooley Community Forum: New Decade for Development

FORUM

05 July, 2010

PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott Visits Kilcooley

Chief Constable Matt Baggott meeting some residents during his visit to Kilcooley.

Flanked by the Chief Superintendant for ‘C’ District Nigel Grimshaw, Area Commander Mark McEwan and other officers the Chief Constable was greeted by Mark Gordon Community Development Manager for Kilcooley Community Forum.

Although running late the Chief Constable was happy to enter the various offices at Kilcooley Square to meet the skeleton staff ‘holding the forts’ as others were eagerly waiting to greet him at the Kilcooley Primary School assembly hall.

In the main venue Kilcooley Primary School, the Chief Constable was met by Lady Sylvia Hermon (MP) and was introduced to Alison Blayney Director of Kilcooley Women’s Centre and school Principal Pauline Brown.

Alison spoke about the work of the Kilcooley Women Centre and how education played its role in reducing crime and building good community relations.

Jim Rea Chairman of Kilcooley Community Forum officially welcomed the Chief Constable to Kilcooley saying, “On behalf of Kilcooley Community Forum I want to welcome you here this morning. I’m sure you’ve been briefed by Chief Superintendant Nigel Grimshaw, Area Commander Mark McEwan and community officer Constable Mark Pearson about the work our member groups and individuals do? Kilcooley Community Forum not only seeks to serve this community by providing professional community development services to our members and residents but also to other communities across the borough. Through our work we have witnessed annual reductions in crime ranging from 11 to 25%.

We have managed this in numerous ways but importantly it has been done in partnership with local PSNI. Initiatives such as KEEPSAFE (Kilcooley Education Enforcement Programme, Substance Awareness For Everyone) which was designed by PSNI and Kilcooley Community Forum. Bangor Alternatives provide a community based restorative justice approach to tackling low level crime and anti-social behaviour. Again this is done in partnership with PSNI. Groups such as the Kilcooley Community Action Group offer numerous programmes for residents of all ages which help reduce crime and the fear of crime. Each of our groups and individual members, in some form or other, work to make Kilcooley a safer and happier place to live. Your visit today Chief Constable highlights the good working relationship we have with the PSNI. It is a positive relationship we aim to maintain, even in the face of opposition, because it is important our community and our residents can live in a peaceful and secure society. Thank you.”

Jamie Bryson Vice-chair of Kilcooley Community Forum and project worker with the Youth Cohesion Project spoke about the work he and his group are doing to help build community relations among young men. Through this work and in partnership with other groups such as CHARTER NI real positive impacts are taking place and people are beginning to benefit from doing things differently.

Lady Sylvia Hermon was asked to say a few words and spoke about the Chief Constable’s approach to policing being a personal approach – making policing personal. She told the audience how Kilcooley used to be and what wonderful changes had taken place over recent years. She said she hoped to see further partnerships with PSNI at a local level.

In his address the Chief Constable thanked everyone for the invitation to come to Kilcooley. He said he had heard a great deal about the work that was taking place and he was pleased to be here because he felt Kilcooley was inspirational in its approach to community development, particularly in the working relationship with PSNI. “I noticed the incredible bonfire at Orlock Gardens as I came into the community and am amazed at how tidy it is kept. This speaks of a community that is proud and that impresses me. I was delighted to hear from the ladies at the Square Centre Cafe whom I met earlier that last Christmas they held a dinner event on Christmas Day for residents who otherwise would have been alone. This shows me Kilcooley is very caring and it also speaks of hope.” The Chief Constable then spoke about policing and the direction he hopes to set for future policing in Northern Ireland. He wants to see local policing working effectively across the Province and not just in some areas. He confirmed the words of Lady Hermon by saying his idea was to ensure policing was personal and what the community wanted.

A number of questions were put to the Chief Constable from the audience.

Mark Gordon Kilcooley Community Forum: 16yrs after the loyalist ceasefire what impact do you think this ceasefire has had on policing in Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist communities?

Chief Constable: The loyalist ceasefire has made a massive difference to policing in Northern Ireland. It has allowed officers to build relationships in these communities and establish friendships that allow the service to be more effective.

Tommy Crawford Treasurer Kilcooley Community Forum: I’m an Elder at Kilcooley Presbyterian Church and I was wondering, does your personal faith in Jesus ever bring you into conflict with your work and if so how do you deal with it?

Chief Constable: Indeed I am a believer in the risen Jesus and when I am asked to speak, I speak about who I am in my role as a police officer. However having lived and served in Leicester I have come into contact and made friends with people from other faiths and traditions including Muslims, Hindu’s etc, however although I do not agree with them in their teachings I have none the less realised we can still be friends. I am bored to tears with political correctness dictating how it thinks we all should be. I am who I am and what I am and I accept others for who they are and what they believe.

Jim Martin Bangor Alternatives: What is your view on community based restorative justice and do you think this work should be core funded by government?

Chief Constable: I believe we need to trust communities to deal with a lot of the issues we are currently dealing with. I think as the crime goes up a level then community panels should also be considered. There is a lot of good work being done through CBRJ offices and this is to be encouraged. As for funding, the way things are going at present with the public purse all of us need to look at how we do what we do more effectively and if possible we must also look and see if some of this can be done by the voluntary agencies and individuals.

David Stitt Kilcooley Community Action Group / CHARTER NI: Do you envisage Patton’s 50 / 50 recruitment continuing beyond March 2011?

Chief Constable: I believe Patton is coming to an end and we must remember without it there would have been no PSNI however we are all moving on. Patton has run its course and we need to ensure the PSNI continues to represent everyone. There is no need for the 50 / 50 recruitment policy any longer.

Lynne Bloomfield Kilcooley Women’s Centre: There is talk of 40% cuts to your budget, if this is accurate how will it manifest locally?

Chief Constable: Personally I believe policing is much more important than a lot of the other services and therefore I will be arguing that our cuts are not as severe. We have already reduced our numbers from 12,000 to 7,000 officers / staff and really in light of this I think we have met the percentage required. The most important thing at this time is to make sure we keep what matters and that is to provide a service that reduces crime, tackles crime, provides security and allows the community to feel their needs are being met.

Mark Gordon Kilcooley Forum: I asked the Justice Minister the same question recently; the perception within PUL communities is that the Historical Enquiries Team is only investigating loyalist crimes, how do you intend to deal with this perception?

Chief Constable: I am aware of this perception however the HET are working independently, chronologically and methodically through many files from the 70’s, 80’s 90’s and so on and the wider community will see they are dealing with crimes from across both communities. Although I agree we do need them, I am also conscious that what is vital is what I use today to protect people today.

Alison Blayney then stopped taking questions and advised the audience they could ask further questions from the Chief Constable over refreshments. Alison thanked the Chief Constable for coming to Kilcooley and invited him to stay and chat with the individual guests about the work they are doing within the community.

The Chief Constable continued in the venue enjoying refreshments and speaking with those gathered to meet him. He also gave some of his time to do a short interview for a SEUPB Peace 3 funded DVD being produced by the North Down & Ards Intercommunity Forum on the legacy of the conflict.

One lady from Kilcooley Presbyterian Church said, “He is such a nice man and so friendly. It’s great to see him in our community and to hear he is a Christian. I wonder would he come to our church and speak.”

The Chief Constable and his other officers left after almost two hours and as he exited he said he was delighted to have been in Kilcooley just to say thanks for the work that was being done. He wished other areas in Northern Ireland which our presently experiencing difficulties could only move forward in the same way.

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