Republican News · Thursday 28 March 2002

Sinn Féin rejects flawed policing boards

Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone Michelle Gildernew speaking on Wednesday after the SDLP in Fermanagh nominated members to the District Police Partnership Boards, said that Sinn Féin would not sit on the flawed boards.

"Patten was clear, unambiguous and definitive about the role recommended for the Policing Board," she said. "The Patten Commission stated: 'We recommend that the statuary primary function of the Policing Board should be to hold the chief Constable and the Police Service publicly to account.'

"The British government's Police Act does not give the Board or the District Partnership the power to do this. The sole responsibility for this and indeed for sorting this out lies with the British government.

"The local District Police Partnership which the SDLP nominated to today is not the Board set out in the Patten recommendations. It cannot hold the RUC Chief Constable and his force accountable."