Sinn Féin hit out at police human rights report

Sinn Féin representatives are refusing to endorse the Policing Board’s latest human rights report, they revealed today.

With much of their opposition to the dossier centred on the use of baton rounds, new divisions have opened within the authority which holds Chief Constable Hugh Orde to account.

Alex Maskey, the Sinn Féin policing spokesman, confirmed a number of the 45 recommendations set to be published tomorrow could not be supported by his party.

He said: “The Policing Board has the direct responsibility to ensure that the PSNI complies with the highest standards of human rights in all areas of its work.

“While there has been considerable progress in recent years we are not satisfied that the Policing Board has been rigorous enough in its role of scrutiny and holding the police to account.

“Sinn Féin does not support or endorse a number of the recommendations in this report.”

The annual report, compiled with the Board’s human rights advisers Jane Gordon and Keir Starmer QC, is expected to say the PSNI is more compliant than other forces.

It will also focus on how officers treat suspects, the relationship between the PSNI and Parades Commission, and the treatment of children and young people.

Senior officers are to be challenged to draw up a report within three months to ensure the force meets its human rights requirements.

But the controversy over the use of so-called less lethal force refuses to go away.

Hugh is considering the deployment of electronic Taser stun guns among specialist officers, in line with other UK forces.

And even though police use of baton rounds has plummeted in recent years, the right to use the method in the face of any serious rioting has been defended.

As he urged the Board to consider the recommendations, however, Mr Maskey claimed they do not set the benchmark high enough nor compel the PSNI to fully implement them.

He stressed: “Sinn Féin will not under any circumstances, endorse the use of plastic bullets, particularly against children.

“We are very disappointed therefore that the Policing Board has again supported the use of plastic bullets.”

The South Belfast MLA added that the report highlighted a number of other fundamental areas of concern, including: deficiencies in human rights training; trends in relation to stop and search; disparities in the number of young Catholic males referred for prosecution; and breaches of discipline, including the numbers of officers leaving the service while under investigation.