Police leader warns of Ulster terror threat

Northern Ireland faces a greater terrorist threat than at any time since the Omagh bomb atrocity, A police chief warned today.

“The country is in danger of losing its grip on the ability to guarantee a reasonably peaceful life to its people,” claimed Police Federation chief Irwin Montgomery.

With policing resources close to breaking point because of loyalist and republican violence, Northern Secretary John Reid was also told of the critical need to retain the 2,000 full-time reserve force.

Mr Montgomery warned him: “If you want policing to collapse, disband them.”

His new assessment of the security threat was delivered at the federation’s annual conference near Belfast, attended by Dr Reid.

Rank and file delegates heard their chairman accuse the British Government of over-estimating peace levels.

Mr Montgomery called for a series of new initiatives to restore confidence, including:

:: a fundamental review of terrorists on early prison release;

:: a new tariff for rioting offences;

:: a ban on paramilitaries joining the district policing partnership boards;

:: scrapping plans to devolve policing powers to the Northern Ireland Executive;

:: a new state-of-the-art police training college to deal with fresh recruits.

But it was the confirmation of the full-time reserves’ future, in the light of the violent campaign still being waged by some organisations, which dominated Mr Montgomery’s address.

Almost 800 officers have been injured through civil disorder in the last 12 months, with around 900 men and women currently on sick leave.

Under these circumstances, and in the current security climate, he argued the full-time reserve – due to be scrapped in the Patten blueprint for reforming the Royal Ulster Constabulary – was essential.

“The terrorist threat in Northern Ireland is greater than at any stage since the Omagh outrage of four years ago,” he said.

“The government has simply not faced up to the growing danger to this community by its own failure to respond firmly to the overall security threat.”

With new chief constable Hugh Orde making clear he needed the full-time reserve, Mr Montgomery rounded on the Northern Ireland Office and the policing board for not doing more.

“They have been among the most despicably treated group of police employees in western Europe,” he said.

Mr Montgomery hinted that delays over guaranteeing their future could be linked to a political “trade-off” designed to get Sinn Fein on to the Policing Board.

Many of those orchestrating the ongoing street disorder were freed under the Good Friday Agreement, he claimed.

The federation chairman suggested sending back to jail those against whom there is the slightest piece of evidence.

With those hurling missiles during clashes guilty of “attempted murder”, he said rioters should get similar sentences to a petrol bomber jailed for eight and a half years in Bradford last week.

His speech came on the eve of a recruitment campaign for independent members to the 29 District Policing Partnerships who will hold police commanders to account.

“Those who terrorise our communities, and also murdered and injured thousands, should not be rewarded with the opportunity to make an input into how the community is policed,” he stressed.

As Dr Reid listened, the federation boss also railed against his plans to devolve responsibility for policing from London to the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive.

With Sinn Fein still refusing to back the new force and bitter division at Stormont, he indicated this could be a disaster.

“Any move in this direction is premature and therefore an unacceptably dangerous gamble,” he said.

“The Executive is nowhere near ready to be entrusted with the stewardship of the one body which has held Northern Ireland together for the past 33 years.”

In a final attack on the Police Ombudsman’s office, he pointed out it has spent £8.5 million between November 2000 and March 2002, with 104 members of staff and 75 working on complaints and investigations.

Questioning the value for money, he added: “Police confidence in the Police Ombudsman is at a very low ebb.

“We do not have direct access to an independent complaints process against Ombudsman investigators’ excesses.”