Police chief gives his backing to Dunmurry station

DUNMURRY police station looks set to be reprieved after the PSNI’s District Commander recommended it remain open for ‘operational reasons’.

Dunmurry was on a list of stations across Northern Ireland being considered for closure in a review by the PSNI, along with Hillsborough.

But this week the District Commander, Chief Superintendent Henry Irvine, told a public meeting in Dunmurry he has recommended to senior PSNI command that Dunmurry remain open “due to operational reasons”.

MLA and Policing Board member Jonathan Craig and Councillor Margaret Tolerton, Chair of Lisburn DPP, said it had come as a “welcome surprise” at Monday night’s Public DPP meeting in Dunmurry.

It was after several people had strongly argued for the retention of the station that Chief Superintendent Irvine made the announcement.

Mrs Tolerton commented: “This is welcome news for the Dunmurry Area and will restore confidence in the PSNI that had been ebbing away. It is a clear reflection of the cross community support for the station and more importantly the fantastic work carried out by the local community policing team, and will insure that the work carried out between them and the local community teams, with regard to lowering community tensions in the area, will continue and flourish.”

Mr Craig said: “I am glad that good sense has prevailed over the future of Dunmurry station, a station which typifies the new shared future for Northern Ireland where both communities interface with the PSNI, regularly meeting in the station. The fight to insure this recommendation is carried through now moves to the Police Board where I will not only do all that I can to insure Dunmurry’s future, but will also take up the fight to save Hillsborough station.”