SDLP man hits back at resignation call
A police board chief in Fermanagh tonight resisted demands for his resignation as a new row flared over the PSNI full-time Reserve.
Democratic Unionist MLA Arlene Foster called for John O’Kane to quit after O'Kane insisted all officers not carrying out frontline duties should go.
Ms Foster said: “Councillor O’Kane is clearly out of touch with the public and ordinary police officers on the ground and that makes him totally unsuitable to be chairman of the District Policing Partnership."
The SDLP man provoked her anger amid proposals to scrap all reservists in the district.
The new resource plans come on the back of a fierce battle between nationalists and unionists across Northern Ireland over the future of the under-threat unit.
With chief constable Hugh Orde due to deliver a security assessment within months that could see the full-time Reserve being phased out from next spring, tensions have heightened.
Mr O’Kane argued that the people of Fermanagh deserve to be policed by fully-trained, full-time and fully professional officers.
“We don’t want police sitting in border outposts being guarded by the (British) Army and doing no community policing,” he said.
Today Mr O’Kane rejected Foster's demands.
“She is entitled to make her comments and if there is any merit in them she has the opportunity to raise them to the DPP.
“But I was elected by Fermanagh District Council to be the chairman for this year and I will stay there.”
