By Press office from NICVA
Published on 24 Dec 2008
NICVA has called for the community safety strategy to be developed by local politicians through an inclusive and informed public debate.
NICVA calls for local community safety responsibility
Commenting on the strategy NICVA Chief Executive, Seamus McAleavey, said:
"With the pending devolution of responsibility for policing and justice to the NI Assembly, NICVA, after consultation with our Criminal Justice Group (a section of our membership with key interests in this area) believes that the current consultation and any implementation of the 'Together, Stronger, Safer - Community Safety in Northern Ireland' strategy should be delayed until responsibility passes to a locally elected Assembly.
"We support the need for such a strategy and believe that creating safer communities is an extremely important issue. However, we think the timing for moving this particular document forward is wrong. As this is an issue that impacts on everyone in Northern Ireland, we believe that the community safety strategy should be developed by an inclusive and informed public debate and this debate should be led by local politicians."
Mr McAleavey pointed out that the strategy would be likely to be reviewed by the Northern Ireland Executive and any new Minister for Policing and Justice as soon as responsibility for these issues is devolved:
"NICVA sees devolution as a real driver for change in Northern Ireland rather than simply the transfer of administrative responsibility. We do not think the transfer across of legislative provision from other jurisdictions is always the best way to develop effective solutions for the undeniable problems relating to community safety in Northern Ireland.
"NICVA was supportive of the fact that the new Northern Ireland Executive took the time to reassess and evaluate many of the direct rule polices they inherited, such as the Review of Public Administration, Anti-Poverty Strategy and A Shared Future, to ensure that they were in line with the Executive's priorities and would deliver real results for Northern Ireland. If the current consultation continues and the recommendations are implemented by the NIO, NICVA would assume that the NI Executive and any new Minister for Policing and Justice would take time to review the strategy as soon as responsibility for these issues is devolved. Therefore it would appear pointless to move ahead with a consultation on a strategy which may end up subject to review and change with in relatively short time scale."
Please see the related consultation document. The consultation period ends on 19 January 2009.
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