Cost of policing parades hits £5m
THE cost of policing parades in Northern Ireland was £5 million last year, the Chief Constable revealed yesterday.
Contentious marches with a high threat of disorder divert tens of thousands of pounds worth of PSNI resources from other frontline services, regardless of whether or not trouble kicks off, Sir Hugh Orde added.
It is understood the cost of policing last weekend’s Whiterock parade in north Belfast alone was in excess of £100,000.
The chief told members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board that the overall bill for the marching season would remain significant unless more was done to reach accommodation between communities ahead of the events.
Paying tribute to those who had ensured parades so far this year had passed off without major incident, he stressed the importance of reaching agreements throughout the summer.
“The overall cost of parading last year was £5 million,” he said.
“Now that’s a substantial cost in terms of what we could’ve done with £5 million in terms of community policing and in terms of dealing with crime levels which, experience tells me, is exactly what communities talk to me about.”
Overall crime is up by around four per cent in Northern Ireland on the same time last year, with the most significant spike coming in regard to serious violent crime, which has increased by 22 per cent in the last three months, on the back of a 27 per cent increase last year.
At what was the Chief Constable’s last board meeting before leaving the PSNI in September, Sir Hugh said the vast majority of these incidences were related to disturbances involving young men under the influence of alcohol late at night.
On the threat from dissident republican terrorists, Sir Hugh said it remained high.
“I do think they are becoming increasingly isolated; that does not make them less dangerous,” he said.
“They remain determined to attack police officers as we speak.”
Meanwhile, the Policing Board announced last night that five candidates had been shortlisted in the race to succeed Sir Hugh Orde.
However, no applicants were eliminated at the first procedural selection stage, with all those still in the hunt for the £183,000-a-year job progressing.
Seven candidates had originally applied, with two having subsequently withdrawn.
Board chair Barry Gilligan said: “The board is very pleased with the level of interest shown and the high calibre of the candidates for the Chief Constable’s post and looks forward to interviews in August.”
