Member's statement: Policing: Belfast City Centre
Member's statement by Mr Peter McReynolds on .
- MLA
- Mr Peter McReynolds
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 24 March 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Policing: Belfast City Centre
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4864542
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise both as an MLA and a member of the Policing Board to put on record my sincere thanks to the officers of the PSNI for their professionalism and presence at yesterday's assemblies in Belfast city centre. Last year, we saw violence on our streets, criminal damage, businesses trashed and fear across communities in Northern Ireland. I remember raising in the Chamber the concerns of my constituents and businesses who, at that time, saw and felt racism in the air. In advance of yesterday's events, I spoke frequently with the PSNI to ensure that it was prepared, and I was assured that it was taking events seriously. Yesterday, I took time to observe and engage with the PSNI, and I saw officers manage large crowds calmly and professionally. That builds trust with communities and reassures them. Thankfully, yesterday's event took place peacefully, and the PSNI had a clear role in ensuring that. Last week, I was fortunate to receive a tour of the PSNI's cybercrime unit, and I heard about the role that misinformation now plays in all our lives and how the PSNI polices cybercrime. It was also a timely visit, as I had recently watched 'Adolescence' on Netflix, which highlights the impact that social media now has on all our young people. Immigration does not pose a threat to us: misinformation and division do, and I am grateful to the PSNI for the role that it played yesterday afternoon.
242 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.06 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.71).
- Subject area: Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.09 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.05 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.07 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.21 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.06 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.28 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.01 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.71 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.99 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:10 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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