One hundred police officers in Northern Ireland are to be redeployed to fill detective posts in Belfast as part of a drive to cut crime rates in the city.

The Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, has also given the go-ahead for advertising in Britain next week for detectives to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

However, speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Thursday, the MP for north Belfast, Nigel Dodds, said the measures were not enough.

"I think what many people will be saying is that, already, when there is a shortage in terms of police presence on the ground, what we need are extra resources not redeployment and robbing Peter to pay Paul as it were," he said.

Mr Orde announced the measures on Wednesday during a special programme for the BBC's Cracking Crime day.

Petrol bombs have been thrown during interface violence

The police chief said a lack of resources, the threat from paramilitaries and sectarian violence at interface areas were compromising effective community policing.

He admitted if he had more resources, the service would be more effective.

"I can only respond as quickly as the number of police I have on the streets," he said.

Mr Orde said he faced the challenge of how to balance his resources in dealing with routine crime "against the extremely dangerous crimes where lives are at risk, terrorist crime".

He said the district partnership boards were a "crucial link in that chain" in making a difference.

Mr Orde said there were 9,000 police officers and full-time reserve committed to policing Northern Ireland.

'Random assaults'

"In the current terrorist threat situation, a huge number of those are sidelined from routine policing to deal with that threat," he said.

He referred to the recent attacks on senior loyalist figures in Northern Ireland - with one man murdered and an attempted made on another's life.

"In the last five days in Belfast, I've had nearly every officer and Army resource deployed to stop the loyalist violence exploding into more shootings and more dead bodies and more random assaults," he said.

If I could recruit six or seven experienced senior detectives the impact on major crime would be substantial

Hugh Orde Chief Constable

Mr Orde, who took up his appointment earlier this month, said he is to advertise nationally for extra officers to serve in Northern Ireland.

"I think there may be a number of officers who are trained already in other forces who may be prepared to come and work here," he said.

"If you look at the detective shortage, I may be able to ship over fully trained detectives who could start work quickly in this police service.

"If I could recruit six or seven experienced senior detectives the impact on major crime would be substantial."

During the programme, an invited audience of about 50 people - many of them victims of crime - put questions to the chief constable.

He appealed to communities to work with him to solve crime and to resist those running communities through fear.

Mr Orde also spoke strongly in favour of restorative justice schemes in Northern Ireland.

He said it was his firm belief locking people up was not the answer, but to force them to confront the victims of their crimes.

The police chief also said he agreed with tougher sentencing in cases of car crime involving so-called joy-riding and hoped it would have a deterrent effect.