DPP hears about Neighbourhood Policing

That was the message from Inspector Catherine Magee at last week’s District Policing partnership meeting in Ballysally Community Centre.

The DPP meeting looked at the issue of Neighbourhood Policing and Inspector Magee spoke to the audience about the vision behind and the aims of community policing.

“We have to find better ways of engaging with communities and individuals,” said Inspector Magee.

“Neighbourhood Policing is the most cost effective way of developing with medium to long term solutions but it is a work in progress.

“We need to ask the local communities - what else can we do to help you?

“That’s what the Chief Constable personally asked us when he visited Coleraine last week.

“For example in the past we have been able to use local knowledge to close down drinking dens in derelict houses. We are now holding police surgeries and police briefings, liaising with the rural community and getting to know the Polish community and participating in community events.”