Finlay and Kennedy engange in productive talks with PSNI

Pictured are Mayor of Ballymoney, DUP Cllr John Finlay, and his party colleague Alderman Bill Kennedy, alongside police officers during the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting, the two men said: “We were glad of the opportunity to meet with senior PSNI officers recently to discuss a number of issues of relevance to the local community.

“We expressed our concern that there is only one rapid response vehicle shared between the Ballymoney and Moyle areas. These areas cover a significant geographical and largely rural block, and if two major incidents were to occur in quick succession, there would be absolutely no guarantee that they would be in close proximity to each another. Indeed, they could well be great distances apart, in which case the lack of rapid response resources would be exposed. This is a very serious matter and we stressed that action should be taken to address this shortfall as soon as possible.

“We also said that, from our contacts with constituents, there is declining confidence in the ability or willingness of the PSNI to respond to crime in a timely and effective manner. Some people therefore now feel that it is not worth reporting crime at all. We would encourage everyone to report crime, but there must be an adequate police response. It is therefore vital that the police take note of this lack of confidence and act accordingly to ensure that confidence is restored.

“On the confidence issue, we also said that there was ongoing concern within the broader unionist community in Northern Ireland about police handling of public order issues such as parades and protests. We raised a number of other more sensitive matters during the meeting and, overall, we feel it was a useful and productive exchange of views. We will be following up on all these issues and hope to meet with the PSNI again soon.”