Policing meeting in Co Down called off
Policing representatives called off a meeting in a republican area of Northern Ireland today following fierce resistance from residents.
Members of the board which holds commanders in Newry to account were due to gather in Forkhill, south Armagh, tonight.
But the authority postponed the event amid rising concerns about the level of opposition and possible confrontations.
Campaigners in Forkhill claimed 98% of villagers petitioned did not want the District Policing Partnership in their area.
Forkhill residents who resent heavy police and military presence in the area denied the move was political.
Sinn Féin’s Newry and Armagh Assemblyman, Conor Murphy, insisted republicans, nationalists and non-aligned others all signed the petition.
He added: “The people on the DPP are putting their head in the sand.
“They are not being aware of the fact that people don’t have confidence in the DPPs, they don’t have confidence in the new policing arrangements.
“They want a normal and proper police service.”
With republicans still boycotting the new police arrangements, unionists on the authority accused Sinn Féin of orchestrating the plot.
Henry Reilly, an Ulster Unionist on the partnership, said: “There are people in the area who don’t want the DPP there for their own political reason.
“They enjoy this Bandit Country tag that south Armagh has had, they don’t want to see normalisation."
He added that the DPP would carry out its own survey before deciding whether to rearrange a future meeting.
The setback follows ongoing dissident republican attacks on some members of the 26 DPPs across Northern Ireland.
Professor Desmond Rea, chairman of the central board in Belfast, said he had been kept informed of developments.
He added: “Newry and Mourne DPP has the full support of the Policing Board in the action it has taken.”
