Debate contribution: Policing Board: Review Recommendations

Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on 24 February 2025.

MLA: Mrs Naomi Long
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 24 February 2025
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Oral Answers to Questions
Heading: Policing Board: Review Recommendations
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4813792

Text

There is always a danger that policing will become politicised — by which I mean party politicised — because, of course, policing is inherently a political issue. It requires the support of the public and of politicians, and it requires us to engender confidence in policing. Policing is an inherent part of the transformation of our society, so it is inherently political in that sense. However, it should not become a party-political football, nor should its operational development be politicised. When it comes to the Department of Justice, I am very clear that it is important that I respect the tripartite arrangements, that I allow the Chief Constable to be operationally responsible to the Policing Board and that I allow the Policing Board to hold the Chief Constable to account, rather than to do that through me in the Chamber, which some Members, I think, would prefer. Historically, our policing and our oversight arrangements are delicate and are informed by our experience. The results of the review show that, in the main, those arrangements are working, albeit they may need to be tweaked here and there in order to make them more effective, the review certainly does not say that we should rub them out and start again.

208 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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