Policing Board appointed members to DPPs across Northern Ireland

The first meeting of Omagh District Policing Partnership was stopped when speakers were drowned out by chanting on Wednesday night.

Sinn Fein said it was a legitimate protest, but Policing Board vice-chairman Denis Bradley believes it went too far.

"It sounds to me that the protest went beyond what I would consider acceptable or reasonable," he said.

"I hate intimidation of any kind and I think this society needs to move away from intimidation and that includes Sinn Fein intimidating anyone or anybody else intimidating Sinn Fein.

"I think the District Policing Partnerships are part of the future and they are going to go on and I think that the whole community needs to decide that they are not going to allow themselves to be intimidated and they are not going to be put off the project in which they are engaged."

The meeting was stopped by the protest simply because of the anger that is within the community that nothing has been done to move the policing issue forward. Barry McAleer Sinn Fein

SDLP chairman of the partnership Gerry O'Doherty said the disruption was nothing short of anti-social behaviour.

However, Sinn Fein's West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty defended the behaviour of the protesters who he said had every right to be there.

"It is all about policing," he said.

"There were very, very valid questions asked by the protesters such as have the human rights abusers within the PSNI been rooted out, have they become accountable within this constituency?

"It was on the agenda of the protesters and people have that right."

'Anti-social behaviour'

However, the SDLP said ordinary people in Omagh would lose out.

"Nobody minds about peaceful protest," said Mr O'Doherty.

"I for one am never going to stop anyone protesting peacefully, but we are trying to discuss important issues that affect the community.

"A pensioner, who contacted me earlier in the week to bring up the issue of anti-social behaviour, lives on her own in an estate in Omagh.

"What am I supposed to say to her this morning when the meeting has been disrupted by what I would call anti-social behaviour."

Crime, underage drinking and the safety of elderly people were due to be discussed at the meeting.

Pat Doherty defended the protesters right to free speech

PSNI district commander Superintendent Michael Skuce said he was disappointed that people genuinely interested in policing issues did not have the chance to have their questions answered.

"We appreciate that everyone has a view about policing and law and order issues," he said.

"However for a few people to disrupt a meeting, as happened last night, amounts to the disenfranchisement of others and the denial of their right to free speech."

DPPs have been established in council areas across Northern Ireland to help provide local policing accountability.

The DPPs were created under the programme of changes to policing in Northern Ireland recommended by Chris Patten, which saw the changeover from the predominantly Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary to the PSNI in November 2001.

In the appointment process, the Policing Board was required to ensure the demographics of each council area were reflected in its final appointments.

The 207 independent members - 108 Catholics and 99 non-Catholics - serve along side elected members drawn from local councils.