The Five Demands

E’ del 245% l’aumento dei ‘stop & search’ (fermi e perquisizioni) attuati da ufficiali del PSNI, rispetto allo stesso periodo del 2007.
Le cifre sono state fornite al Policing Board del Comitato per la Tutela dei Diritti Umani.
Il Terrorism Act autorizza gli ufficiali di polizia a fermare e perquisire chiunque si dubiti possa essere coinvolto in attività terroristiche.
Sir Hugh Orde ha giustificato l’aumento di tale operazioni a causa del costante ed alto livello di minaccia perpetrata dai dissidenti repubblicani.
“Abbiamo utilizzato questi poteri per garantire la sicurezza della comunità dell’Irlanda del Norda – che è ciò che ogni singolo partito politico vuole”, ha dichiarato il suo assitente Duncan McCausland.
I dati dimostrano che il maggior numero di fermi (625 n.d.r.) si è avuto nella città di confine di Strabane, nella contea di Tyrone.
Un totale di 315 fermi sono state effettuati a South Belfast, 280 a East Belfast, 276 a North Belfast  e 58 a West Belfast. Segue Craigavon (Co. Armagh) con 159 fermi, Dungannon (Co. Tyrone) con 123, Derry con 101, Newry e Mourne con 99.

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Jump in stop and search power use (BBC News)
There has been a jump in the number of people stopped and searched by Northern Ireland police investigating dissident republican activity.
Police used special powers 2,488 times in the last quarter of 2008, a rise of 245% on the same period in 2007.
The figures were given to the Policing Board’s Human Rights Committee.
The Terrorism Act allow officers to stop and search anyone if they have a reasonable suspicion that they may be involved in terrorist activity.
Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde has warned repeatedly that the threat from dissident republicans is at its highest level for a number of years.
Details of the use of special powers available to officers support that claim.
The committee expressed concern about the increase and said it wanted to ensure that the use of the powers was justified and proportionate.
‘Safe’
Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson said the increase was “shocking and unacceptable”.
“The unnecessary use of stop and search powers directly impacts on the ability of the PSNI to demonstrate to the community that they can police in an effective and accountable fashion,” she said.
Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland insisted they had been used properly.
“The minute that we don’t need these powers, these powers will not be used,” he said.
“We have got to use them to keep the community of Northern Ireland safe – which is what every single political party wants.”
The Policing Board will discuss the figures at its meeting next month.
The board’s figures showed the largest number of people stopped and searched under Section 44 were in the County Tyrone border town of Strabane – 625.
A total of 315 stops were made in south Belfast, 280 in east Belfast, 276 in north Belfast and 58 in west Belfast.
Craigavon in County Armagh saw 159 such stop and searches, Dungannon, County Tyrone 123, Limavady, County Londonderry 101, and Newry and Mourne, 99.