PSNI chief constable George Hamilton has said the 2014 marching season was the most peaceful in recent years but expressed concern over the costs of policing parades.
In his report to the Northern Ireland policing board, Mr Hamilton said the summer's peaceful parades followed "significant engagement" between police and the loyal orders in tandem with "valuable input" from political leaders.
“This is clearly a positive step forward for the global image of Northern Ireland,” he said. However, Mr Hamilton also said the cost of policing parades remained a concern amid dwindling budgets.
“The policing of parades and protests continues to have significant cost implications to the ever-decreasing police budget; for example, the parade and protest activity in Belfast on 10 August 2014 cost over £300,000,” he said.
He said finance remains a major challenge because of the ongoing Northern Ireland Assembly impasse on welfare reform and other pressures. “PSNI have already delivered significant savings over the last four years in the region of £135 million (€170 m) and any further reductions will inevitably have a negative impact on the service we provide.”
In other areas, Mr Hamilton said hate crimes “sadly” continue to dominate the media. He said hate crime is a “strategic policy” for the PSNI which aims to increase reporting of such activity, support victims and bring offenders to justice.
He said 48 arrests relating to hate crime were made in Belfast between May 1st and August 24th, of which 32 were for race related offences. “I remain convinced that the matter will only be resolved with a co-ordinated, multi-agency approach,” he said.
Mr Hamilton also said the PSNI was continuing to focus on tackling serious and organised crime. “For example, a recent operation in relation to Human Trafficking saw the rescue of 20 potential victims in Co Armagh and the charging of two men,” he said.
His report also states the investigation of missing persons continues to be a major challenge for the PSNI. “Whilst the investigation of missing persons is not a priority in terms of the current policing plan, be assured that each case is a priority in terms of our public safety obligations.
“Missing persons therefore serve as a reminder of the many other tasks which officers are professionally progressing on a day to day basis and the immense scale of demand across PSNI with around 7,500 formal reports per year or more than 20 every day,” he said.
