Larne households to be questioned on policing issues

Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Barry Gilligan, has urged everyone who receives the board’s biggest public survey on policing - the 2010 District Policing Partnership (DPP) public consultation survey – to play their part in making their community safer by filling it in and returning it by mid-March.

He explained the he questionnaire is designed to find out community views on a range of issues relating to the delivery of policing in each DPP area.

“Policing with the community is a priority for the board and for the first time the survey will give local people the opportunity to have a say in how policing is being delivered at a neighbourhood level,” Mr Gilligan said..

“The results of this survey, along with other consultation exercises, help DPPs establish local policing priorities with PSNI Area Commanders. The information gathered in this survey informs local public opinion on local police performance and also the DPPs.”

This survey is the only Northern Ireland-wide public attitudes survey undertaken by the board that can be broken down by district council level and PSNI Area Command Unit. The survey findings will be made available to Larne DPP at the end of June 2010 and published by the board during summer 2010.

Mr Gilligan added: “DPPs are the forum for communities to have a say on how their local area is being policed; and to help ensure communities get the kind of policing service they need. The Board urges everyone who receives the questionnaire to be part of the process, to fill it in and return it by March 12.