Northern Ireland Policing Board

The Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board (the Board), Barry Gilligan, has urged everyone who receives the Board’s biggest public survey on policing - the 2010 District Policing Partnership (DPP) Public Consultation Survey, which will drop through 74,000 letterboxes this week – to play their part in making their community safer by filling it in and returning it by mid-March.

“One in 10 households across Northern Ireland will receive the questionnaire which is designed to find out community views on a range of issues relating to the delivery of policing in each DPP area.  Policing with the Community is a priority for the Board and for the first time the survey will give local people the opportunity to have a say in how policing is being delivered at a neighbourhood level,” Barry Gilligan explained.

“The results of this survey, along with other consultation exercises, help DPPs establish local policing priorities with PSNI Area Commanders. The information gathered in this survey informs local public opinion on local police performance and also the DPPs.”

Barry Gilligan continued: “Throughout the year DPPs consult the community in many different ways but due to its size this survey is conducted every two years. In addition to the findings of the Policing Board’s 21 Core Questions, more localised questions generated by DPPs are also included which, along with other consultation methods, will be used to ensure Local Policing Plans are developed to address community issues and help make communities safer.

This survey is the only Northern Ireland-wide public attitudes survey undertaken by the Board that can be broken down by District Council level and PSNI Area Command Unit. The survey findings will be made available to DPPs at the end of June 2010 and published by the Board during summer 2010.

Barry Gilligan added: “DPPs are the forum for communities to have a say on how their local area is being policed; and to help ensure communities get the kind of policing service they need. The Board urges everyone who receives the questionnaire to be part of the process, to fill it in and return it by the 12 March 2010.

Explaining the importance of the survey to the PSNI, Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said: "This survey is invaluable to the PSNI and will play a huge part in influencing the service we provide to communities. We want to hear the views of communities on the policing service in their area. This information, fed back to us through District Policing Partnerships and the Board, will help ensure the policing service in each area meets the individual community needs.

We are listening; we will continue to do so. We want to provide a personal, protective and professional service to all the people of Northern Ireland. With the help, views and feedback from the public, we can deliver that."

Ends  

For further information please contact the Policing Board Press & Public Relations Office on 028 9040 8565 or 07801 738795

Notes to Editors

1. District Policing Partnerships Public Consultation

The 74,000 households were randomly selected from the Land and Property Services Agency List of private addresses. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency conduct the postal survey on behalf of the Policing Board and DPPs. While the Policing Board will publish the overall findings during summer 2010, DPPs will be responsible for releasing their own results.

2. Core Questions and DPP Specific Questions

The 21 core questions asked by the Policing Board cover attitudes to policing issues and priorities, police resourcing, satisfaction with local policing and knowledge/awareness of DPPs. In addition to the core survey questions, DPPs were given the opportunity to ask specific questions that will be asked in their Area only.

3. District Policing Partnerships – General Background

The establishment of DPPs was one of the 175 Recommendations made by the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland. Set up by the Policing Board on 4 March 2003, in accordance with the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000.

The duties and responsibilities of each DPP are set out in Schedule 3 Part III of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. Their role is set out in Section 16 and is to:

• Consult with the public to find out what issues in relation to policing and crime are of concern within the council Area
• Identify local policing priorities arising from the consultation and recommend these to the Area Commander so that they can be taken into account when the Local Policing Plan is being drawn up
• Monitor police performance against the objectives contained in the Local Policing Plan and the Annual Policing Plan as it relates to the Area
• Engage with the community to obtain the co-operation of the public with the police in preventing crime

Act as a general forum for discussion and consultation on all matters relating to the policing of the Area.