Ballymena's local PSNI commander has detailed the police response to the recent surge in sectarian attacks in the area, but warned that a crackdown was not the solution to worsening sectarianism.
Supt Terry Shevlin told a public session of the Policing Board in the town that Operation Striker had deployed hundreds of extra officers at a range of Catholic schools, churches and GAA clubs to counter a spate of sectarian violence.
However, chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said sectarian division which fuelled the hatred could only be countered by community initiatives.
He vowed that the PSNI would strive to contain the violence, but insisted good policing could only form part of the solution.
Supt Shevlin said the operation to counter violence in Co Antrim began on March 24th. Since then 625 additional officers had been drafted in, which had resulted in 12 arrests and cases coming to court. He said at least 42 incidents involving serious sectarianism had been investigated.
Some 14 involved violence against Protestant targets, while the remainder were directed against Catholics.
He said there were two cases of attempted murder.
Sir Hugh, referring to this week's firebombing of two Catholic primary schools and to violence at the Twelfth Orange parade in Ardoyne in July, noted the involvement of young children in serious violence.
Supt Shevlin said loyalist paramilitaries were involved in some of the sectarian incidents in Co Antrim during the tense run- up to Ballymena's first ever republican parade last month.
However, the chief constable denied his officers were going soft on loyalist paramilitary activity, either in the Ballymena area or in the Garnerville area of east Belfast, involved in the loyalist feud. The PSNI was accused of having stood by while loyalists evicted rival paramilitary associates from their homes, a charge denied by Sir Hugh.
He insisted that no one was above the law and pointed to a series of counter-paramilitary operations across the North, often resulting in injury to dozens of officers.
Sir Hugh endorsed earlier remarks by Policing Board chairman Prof Sir Desmond Rea concerning the acceptance of former prisoners into the ranks of the PSNI.
"We are very clear on this," Sir Hugh said. "As in any other police service, people want to be protected by police officers who operate with the highest integrity.That does exclude people who have serious criminal convictions. We are no different from any other police service in that regard, and I am at one with the chairman."
Having been pressed earlier by DUP board member William Hay to elaborate on the IRA's current capability, Sir Hugh said: "I said after the statement we will wait and see. We are still waiting.
"Has there been any activity to give confidence to anyone in Northern Ireland about, for example, decommissioning? No there hasn't.
"Is there any evidence to show Sinn Féin are engaging with the police, be it on this board or be it at a local level? No, there is not.
"There is no evidence of positive shifts which we expect to happen on the back of that IRA statement.
"Nothing has happened."