Hain urged to address 'two-tier' policing system fears
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will be asked today to allay Policing Board concerns in the North about British government plans to fund controversial community restorative justice schemes.
Mr Hain will meet a delegation from the board at Stormont following their chairman Desmond Rea’s warning two weeks ago they will oppose back door moves to allow community-based schemes in the North to act like a quasi-police force.
In a hard hitting statement, Mr Rea and his colleagues told the British government: “The board is unanimous on this matter – if the rumours are right, we are in imminent danger across Northern Ireland of seeing a two-tier system of policing introduced by the back door, with self-appointed groups taking on quasi-policing roles – including stopping and searching people in the street - squeezing out PSNI, and being paid out of public funds.
“The board is taking this unprecedented stand today to call for an immediate halt to any deals on a fundamental aspect of policing being carried out behind closed doors, completely excluding the Policing Board, despite board representations.”
Community restorative justice groups bring victims face to face with the perpetrators in local neighbourhoods to agree how they will pay for their crimes.
Supporters of the schemes say they are aimed at developing an alternative to so-called punishment attacks in areas where paramilitaries have shot or beaten people accused of crimes.
However Policing Board members and critics of the schemes fear republicans, who have refused to endorse or participate in policing in the North, could use the programmes to create local police forces.
They want the British government to insist community restorative justice programmes applying for British government funding liaise with the police and other criminal justice agencies.
The Policing Board has also suggested it may be in the best position to also act as a scrutiny body for community restorative justice schemes.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Judith Gillespie also insisted the schemes should not be viewed as or become alternative police forces.
In a statement which heaped further pressure on the British government, she insisted: “The police service would wish to support any community-based initiative, whereby that community is seeking to take responsibility for their area and work to make it safer and improve the overall quality of life for all who live there.
“However it is absolutely vital that such an initiative works in partnership with, and complements, not undermines or competes with the traditional criminal justice system and all the agencies working within it.
“It is a fundamental principle that community-based schemes cannot and do not operate without the involvement of the police, do not provide what any reasonable person may perceive to be an alternative policing service and cannot be involved in determining the guilt or innocence of an individual.”
The Northern Ireland Office has rejected claims that the schemes will be allowed to operate outside the law.
“As the Secretary of State and ministers have continually made clear there is no way that restorative justice schemes will be authorised to operate outside the rule of law,” a spokesman said.
“The (British) government will not allow two-tier policing structures to develop.”
Sinn Féin policing and justice spokesperson Gerry Kelly also discuss the plans with Northern Ireland Office minister David Hansen at Stormont Castle.
