Protest at policing meeting

People arriving for meeting faced demonstrators

The first meeting of a County Tyrone district policing partnership had to be adjourned twice because of protests from dissident republicans.

The meeting of the Strabane board was disrupted on Wednesday by a group of about 30 people, some of whom represented the 32 County Sovereignty movement, carrying tricolours and placards.

They said they were protesting at a recent arrest operation in Strabane.

Protestors shouted abuse at the police and SDLP representatives.

Before the meeting, attended by all 15 partnership members, about 50 Sinn Fein supporters staged a peaceful demonstration outside the meeting.

Slogans chanted

Local Sinn Fein party chairman Jarlath McNulty said: "Not one protester, not one individual opened their mouth to any individual to any person in through that gate.

"This is a peaceful protest, that is what democracy is about."

However, as they left another group of republicans arrived, some of them members of the 32 County Sovereignty movement which is opposed to the peace process.

They chanted slogans and blocked the car of SDLP policing board member Alex Attwood.

Mr Attwood said: "Things were shouted, people were referred to as 'collaborators' and 'scumbags' and the PSNI were referred to as 'SS RUC'.

"That sort of behaviour is unnecessary and unreasonable."

Four other protesters inside the meeting shouted abuse at the police and the SDLP. But after two adjornments they left and the meeting went ahead.

Independent member of the Strabane DPP Mary McCrea, whose home was targeted in a hoax bomb alert earlier on Wednesday, said it was a significant night.

"I feel a bit relieved that it's over, but I'm really pleased. It's a landmark and hopefully it's the way forward," she said.

Mrs McCrea had said she would not be intimidated out of the policing body.

DPP chairman Tom McBride said everyone who had come along had shown resilience and courage.

The attack on Mrs McCrea was the latest in a series of attacks and threats to members of policing partnerships across Northern Ireland which have resulted in three members resigning.

The Chief Constable, Huge Orde, has said the main threat was from dissident republicans, but police had intelligence that mainstream republicans were involved at a lower level.

Community policing

District policing partnerships were set up across Northern Ireland under reforms initiated by a commission headed by former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten and implemented by the government.

In recent weeks, incidents have included an attack on a car belonging to a DPP member in Strabane and a hoax bomb outside the home of a DPP chairman in Tyrone.

District policing partnerships are made up of councillors and members of the local community, who work alongside the Police Service of Northern Ireland's 29 District Command Units in trying to meet local community policing needs.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board handles some of the most sensitive issues facing policing and holds the chief constable and his senior officers to account.

Former assembly members and independent nominees serve on the board whose headquarters are in Belfast.

Sinn Fein has boycotted the new structures, insisting the government's policing reforms need to go further if they are ever going to participate.