These numbers are for out-of-hours to report … The ranks and their insignia correspond to those of other UK police services, with a few modifications. As well as being equipped with conventional firearms, armed response officers are equipped with various less lethal technologies including attenuating energy projectiles and Tasers. While the bulletproof vest offers a high level of ballistic protection many officers prefer the lighter and more comfortable stab vest. Deloitte conducted recruitment exercises on behalf of the PSNI, and was the dominant firm in the Consensia Partnership which existed from 2001 to 2009. The Chief Constable of Northern Ireland is the third-highest paid police officer in the UK (after the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police).[19]. The day before, over a dozen police officers were injured during clashes with rioters in Belfast. "[23] However, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission cited international human rights law to show that special measures to secure minority participation were in accordance with human rights standards and did not in law constitute 'discrimination'.[24]. Police staff, although non-warranted members of the Service, contribute to both back office, operational support and front line services, sometimes operating alongside warranted colleagues. The PSNI is focusing on tackling the fear factor of joining the Service as violent dissident Republicans are discouraging Catholics from joining and continue to attack Catholic officers. The colour of the PSNI uniform is bottle green. The Oversight Commissioner was appointed to ensure that the Patten recommendations were implemented 'comprehensively and faithfully', and attempted to assure the community that all aspects of the report were being implemented and being seen to be implemented. At first, Sinn Féin, which represented about a quarter of Northern Ireland voters at the time, refused to endorse the PSNI until the Patten Commission's recommendations were implemented in full. The PSNI was initially legally obliged to operate an affirmative action policy of recruiting 50% of its trainee officers from a Catholic background and 50% from a non-Catholic background, as recommended by the Patten Report, in order to address the under-representation of Catholics that had existed for many decades in policing; in 2001 the RUC was almost 92% Protestant. While the bulletproof vest offers a high level of ballistic protection many officers prefer the lighter and … McGoldrick, Stacey and McArdle, Andrea (2006). However, as part of the St Andrews Agreement, Sinn Féin announced its full acceptance of the PSNI in January 2007.[18]. Weitzer, Ronald. TSG also supports public safety by patrolling interfaces and the night time economy. Districts are divided into areas, commanded by a Chief Inspector; these in turn are divided into sectors, commanded by Inspectors. This account is not monitored 24/7. 1992. News & updates from your local Police. 3,340 talking about this. 112 Church Street. "Northern Ireland's Police Liaison Committees", Policing and Society, vol.2, no.3, pages 233–243. This recommendation was enacted in 2002 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement on Policing Cooperation, which set the basis for the exchange of officers between the two services. Police … Specialist Counter Terrorist / Anti-Crime Patrols – these patrols are intelligence led and provide hi-visibility security in areas of specific threat. 154). The senior officer in charge of the PSNI is its Chief Constable. The service's headquarters are located in Knock, an area in east Belfast. [13][14] As part of the reform, an Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (the Patten Commission) was set up, and the RUC was replaced by the PSNI on 4 November 2001. [41] Long arms are still routinely carried in areas of higher threat such as Derry Cityside, North and West Belfast or various border areas. The PSNI badge features the St. Patrick's saltire, and six symbols representing different and shared traditions: The flag of the PSNI is the badge in the centre of a dark green field. Tactical Support Group (TSG) officers are trained in a range of specialist tactics and deliver a highly versatile mobile resource supporting District Policing colleagues across all of Northern Ireland. Police have issued an appeal for a missing Antrim woman believed to be with her daughter. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it was reformed and renamed in 2001 on the recommendation of the Patten Report. [51], Other items of equipment include Hiatt Speedcuffs, CS (irritant) Spray, Monadnock autolock batons with power safety tip and Hindi cap, a first aid pouch, a TETRA radio (Motorola MTH800) and a torch with traffic wand, Limb Restraints, finally the PSNI plan to distribute 2100 BlackBerry devices to officers by the end of March 2011 and by March 2012 they plan to distribute an additional 2000 devices.[52]. [50] In June 2013, prior to the G8 summit, a Britten-Norman Defender 4000 entered service with registration G-CGTC and callsign Scout 2. It also stressed a child's welfare should be paramount when considering the controversial tactics and required that any risk had been properly explained to them and a risk assessment completed.[28]. The Belfast Harbour Police is a small, specialised ports police force, with responsibility for the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland. [20] There are three levels of exchanges: The protocols for these movements of personnel were signed by both the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Garda Commissioner on 21 February 2005.[21]. The PSNI is also internally regulated by its Professional Standards Department, who can direct local "professional standards champions" (superintendents at district level) to investigate relatively minor matters, while a "misconduct panel" will consider more serious misconduct issues. "Police Reform in Northern Ireland", Police Studies, v.19, no.2. As of 2017, the PSNI have announced that it will be introducing new schemes to increase the number of Catholics in the force. Officers employed by the force as empowered to act as Constables in accordance with the Airport (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 whilst on land owned or controlled by the airport. The police are carrying out a number of searches at offices of Saoradh, the political party considered by the PSNI as being linked to the New IRA. BELFAST — Belfast Police reported issuing 11 traffic citations between April 9-14. This is a 24-hour emergency call centre. CBRN – TSG officers are trained to respond to Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear incidents using specialist protective clothing and equipment. Sergeants do not wear numbers as their counterparts do in other UK police services. Some of these people will be involved in crime; a significant number of others will be suffering from mental illness or at points of crisis within their lives, posing a danger to themselves and others. image caption Fourteen police officers were hurt in north Belfast Three 14-year-old boys were arrested during the disorder on Friday and have been released pending further inquiries. Belfast City District Command Unit covers an area of 46 square miles has a population of 333,871 (18.4% of the NI Total) with a further transient population of over 120,000. (24 hours a day, seven days a week), Waterline: for all emergencies including flooding as well as day to day enquiries about water. Physical Address. Belfast: Police attacked with petrol bombs during bonfire removal as 26 officers injured. News & updates from your local Police. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Initial Police Learning and Development Programme, The Functions of Traffic Wardens Order 1970, Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986, Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997, Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, Belfast International Airport Constabulary, Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom, List of law enforcement agencies in Northern Ireland, List of Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland, "Funding in focus as Board approves PSNI Budget", "Freedom of Information Request : Police Dogs Owned and/or Used by PSNI", "Faisnéis as Gaeilge faoi Sheirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann", "A New Beginning : Policing in Northern Ireland", "Committee A (Sovereign Matters) on Cross Border Cooperation between Police Forces", "Freedom of Information Request : Human Resources", "House of Commons Standing Committee B (pt 4)", "Workforce Composition Figures | Police Service of Northern Ireland", "CAIN: The Patten Report on Policing: Summary of Recommendations, 9 September 1999", "Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002", "Belfast police forced back into flak jackets", https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/advice--information/our-publications/disclosure-logs/2008/organisational-informationgovernance/firearms_held_by_psni.pdf, https://issuu.com/pfoa/docs/top_cover_-_issue_12_-_web, https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/advice--information/our-publications/disclosure-logs/2015/operational-policing/missing_psni_firearms_and_ammunition.pdf, https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/advice--information/our-publications/disclosure-logs/2015/operational-policing/weapons.pdf, https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/advice--information/our-publications/disclosure-logs/2017/complaints-and-discipline/29032017/negligent-discharges.pdf, "OVIK: CROSSWAY Armoured and Special Role Vehicles and Chassis", "Freedom of Information Request : Use of Bicycles by PSNI", "Northern Ireland police service orders EC145 helicopter – CJI Main Site", "Keeping People Safe in Causeway Coast and Glens District", "Freedom of Information Request : Blackberry Mobile Phones=Psni.police.uk", Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland website, Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Police_Service_of_Northern_Ireland&oldid=1023081640, Articles with dead external links from August 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using law enforcement agency with civilian police general nature, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Personnel exchanges, for all ranks, without policing powers and for a term up to one year, Secondments: for ranks Sergeant to Chief Superintendent, with policing powers, for up to three years, Lateral entry by the permanent transfer of officers for ranks above Inspector and under Assistant Commissioner. [32] In 2009 the PSNI issued an upgraded and redesigned bulletproof vest to operational officers. Other protests have previously taken place in west Belfast, Moygashel, Newtownards, Markethill, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Antrim and north Belfast. The best known PSNI vehicle is the Land Rover Tangi but with the improving security situation these are less likely to be used for everyday patrols and are more likely to be used for crowd control instead. In 2007 the DCUs were replaced by eight districts ('A' to 'H') in anticipation of local government restructuring under the Review of Public Administration. The Chief Constable is appointed by the Northern Ireland Policing Board, subject to the approval of the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland. TSG provides uniformed support to investigative departments including Organised Crime Branch, Major Investigation Teams and Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The Belfast International Airport Constabulary (BIAC) is a small, specialised police force responsible for providing policing to the Belfast International Airport in Aldergrove, Northern Ireland. [46][47], The PSNI operates two fixed wing aircraft for aerial surveillance. Stones and fireworks were thrown at police by groups of young people who had gathered on the nationalist Springfield Road, close to where riots took place on Wednesday night. Many unionist politicians said the "50:50" policy was unfair, and when the Bill to set up the PSNI was going through Parliament, Minister of State Adam Ingram stated: "Dominic Grieve referred to positive discrimination and we hold our hands up. Beginning in December 2007 bulletproof vests were required for PSNI officers patrolling in the Greater Belfast and Greater Derry City areas owing to the threat from dissident republicans. TSG coxwains also support major policing operations including VIP visits and maritime festivals. TSG supports the policing of large public events and responds to incidents of public disorder. The Oversight role ended on 31 May 2007, with the final report indicating that of Patten's 175 recommendations, 140 had been completed with a further 16 "substantially completed".[22]. Historically, RUC officers were issued with the Ruger Speed-Six revolver and had access to the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun and the Heckler & Koch G3 and Heckler & Koch HK33[36] rifles (which replaced the earlier Sterling submachine guns and Ruger AC-556 select-fire rifles between 1992 and 1995), with the PSNI inheriting these weapons upon formation; subsequently, the Glock 17 pistol began superseding the Speed-Six revolvers from 2002 onwards, with only fifteen revolvers remaining in service a decade later,[37][38] while Heckler & Koch G36 variants were procured to supplement the MP5, G3, and HK33. Each district is headed by a Chief Superintendent. Belfast police use water cannon on Northern Ireland rioters – video. The PSNI is about half the size of Garda Síochána in terms of officer numbers. The current Police Ombudsman is former Oversight Commissioner Dr Michael Maguire, who took over from Al Hutchinson in July 2012. Premises in Belfast … Police in Northern Ireland have said the violence in west Belfast last night was of a scale not seen in recent years. Weitzer, Ronald. PSNI officers routinely wear bulletproof vests and in recent years have been issued the stab vests worn by most UK police officers and the Gardaí. A 36-year-old man arrested after a number of police were injured during a pursuit through Belfast has been released. This page was last edited on 14 May 2021, at 07:49. Find Belfast County Police station addresses, websites, emails and phone numbers. Responsibility for policing and justice was devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 9 March 2010, although direction and control of the PSNI remains under the Chief Constable. The PSNI is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Late on Saturday, teenagers gathered in the same area in Belfast, but disappeared once they saw police vehicles approaching, according to the Sputnik correspondent. This led to the creation of the PANGOLIN – Armoured Public Order Vehicle – designed and built by OVIK Special Vehicles (part of the OVIK Group), 60 Mk1 and 90 Mk2 variants have been delivered and are currently in service. Phone: 207-338-2420. The phone number for Antrim Road Police Station police station is 0845-600 8000. It was founded in 1847, [1] making it the oldest continuously-operating law enforcement agency in Ireland . [45] All aircraft are used for investigations, anti-crime operations, traffic management, search and rescue, public order situations, crime reduction initiatives and tackling terrorism. Police used water cannon for the first time in six years on another night of rioting in Belfast. By February 2011, 29.7% of the 7,200 officers were from a Catholic background, but among the 2,500 police staff (non-warranted members), where the 50:50 rule operated only for larger recruitment drives, the proportion of Catholics was just 18%. 259 talking about this. These numbers are for out-of-hours to report emergencies such as a serious chemical spillage, flooding, a fatal accident in a workplace or a dangerous building likely to collapse. For other uses, see. [48] In August 1992, a Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander entered service with registration G-BSWR and callsign Scout 1.