Catholic policing board members 'suffering intimidation'

Catholic members of local policing boards in Northern Ireland are being subjected to “psychological intimidation” from republicans, the chairman of one district partnership claimed today.

As police examined a suspect package of a district policing partnership member in Sion Mills in Co Tyrone, SDLP councillor Eugene McMenamin also condemned plans by Sinn Féin to picket a meeting of a local board in Strabane.

“What I am saying is that protests like this only give credence to those who are intimidating district policing partnership members, whether they are elected or civilian,” Mr McMenamin said.

“People need to understand that what the DPPs are about is providing a safer environment in local communities by tackling issues of local importance like under-age drinking.

“These arrangements have given people in Strabane and other places in Northern Ireland the opportunity for the first time in their history to air their concerns about policing issues at public meetings.”

Sinn Féin has refused to call off tonight’s protest in Strabane, despite a spate of threats and attacks against Catholic DPP members across Northern Ireland.

Three members of district policing partnerships have resigned because of attacks and threats, which have mainly been blamed on dissident Republicans like the Real IRA.

However Provisional IRA members have also been accused of intimidating DPP members in Cookstown.

The deputy chairman of Northern Ireland’s Policing Board, Denis Bradley, has also been threatened.

Sinn Féin chairman Mitchel McLaughlin yesterday laid the blame for all the threats and attacks on hard-line republicans who he said were more opposed to his party than they were to unionists or the British authorities.

Mr McLaughlin also insisted that the Strabane protest would be “peaceful, dignified and legitimate”.

The former Foyle MLA insisted that Sinn Féin would only endorse the policing arrangements when the government committed itself to introducing more reform.

However Mr McMenamin today responded that Sinn Féin was missing the boat on the policing issue.

“It is all right for Mitchel McLaughlin to say this or that on policing but the SDLP has taken the courageous step over the past two years of helping implement the Patten reforms and shaping policing.

“Sinn Féin says we have jumped too soon but I am saying to Mitchel McLaughlin that time is running out for them to jump if they want to help shape the new policing era.”