Policing in Northern Ireland is moving on a lot more quickly than some of the province's politicians, Chief Constable Hugh Orde claimed today.
As he presented 50 officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland with the Chief Constable's Highly Commended Awards, Mr Orde claimed the force was leading the way in community policing in Europe.
Mr Orde said the awards proved policing was working in Northern Ireland despite what some people claimed.
"These are facts. None of this is made up," he said. "These are officers who did go into burning buildings, they gave mouth to mouth resuscitation to people who were not in a very pleasant condition.
"They just got on with it. Some got attacked. Some had guns pointed at them and didn't shoot but made the arrests. If someone points a gun at a police officer in most countries, most police officers open fire," he said.
Among the recipients of the award in Belfast City Hall was Constable Alan Swann who helped resuscitate a three-year-old boy at the Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, two years ago.
He used life saving techniques until an ambulance arrived at the scene and the boy made a full recovery.
Constable Norman Gibson, who devised Operation Clean Up in which over 1,500 illegal and untaxed cars used by criminals were seized, was also honoured.
PA