NEW PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott has pledged that tackling the dissident republican threat will be one of his top priorities.
His first day as chief constable yesterday was marked by heightened security in several parts of Northern Ireland. Two men were arrested in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, following a series of police searches in connection with suspected dissident republican activity, while over recent days there was a noticeable increase in police traffic checks and searches in many parts of the North.
The increased security took place against police concerns that dissident republicans would try to stage some sort of violent operation or propaganda stunt to mark Mr Baggott’s first day as chief constable, according to security sources.
Mr Baggott, after meeting policing board chairman Barry Gilligan, said he would be seeking to enlist community support as one key part of his armoury in combating the dissidents. He began his job nine months after dissidents murdered two British soldiers and a PSNI officer.
“The threat is real, it would be wrong of me not to say that. That is why we are dealing with it on the public’s behalf. It is a priority for me but the answer to it rests in some very effective, professional policing,” he said.
“I don’t diminish it, I don’t underplay it, it is real. And there are some people doing some very dedicated work at the moment to deal with that,” he added.
“I am deeply saddened there are people who are trapped in violence and intimidation. But I know the greatest resource for dealing with that is the vast, vast majority who want to make the future a more positive place for their young people,” he said.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, speaking at the National Ploughing Championship in Athy, said recent events in Meigh and Forkhill, in Co Armagh, indicated the dissident republican threat was “very real”.
He said he was concerned about this threat and he wanted to reassure people, particularly along the Border, that the Garda Síochána was working diligently.
Mr Baggott, a former head of the Leicestershire force, has made his reputation by his emphasis on neighbourhood policing.
“I have a number of big challenges. The first is to take the neighbourhood policing and personal policing a stage further,” said Mr Baggott. He would seek to cut out “unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape” and to “get people out from behind desks”.
He said the issue of policing and justice powers was a matter for the politicians while making clear his preference for devolution of these powers. “I am a great believer in local people and local accountability,” he said.