Terrorism still number one threat says Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin

Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin, who has been acting commander since last summer, officially took over as District Commander this week. The new top command team of Cargin, Superintendent Garry Eaton and Superintendent John Magill, was unveiled at Strand Road police station today.

“The threat across the district is severe,” he said.

“There are people who unfortunately want to murder my officers and they want to murder other members of the community and to threaten and put fear into those communities.”

Superintendent Cargin also said the emphasis on community policing will continue to be to the fore.

“We nee to build trust with the community, to police communities in a non-judgemental way and in an empathetic way and to give them the best possible police service that we can and that they genuinely deserve,” he said.

“I want to increase the level of neighbourhood policing across the district and to do that in a way that develops partnerships and allow those neighbourhood teams at the grassroots to build up partnerships and to build trust with those communities.

“We have to meet the needs of individual communities, be it dealing with anti-social behaviour, be it drugs and the things that really matter and that affect communities.

“I am keen to constantly be in touch with communities and know and understand what their needs are and to respond with an effective police service.

“The challenges ahead are the uncertainty over the financial situation the country faces and the finances that will be available to us to help us to increase the policing footprint. Being realistic, I don’t believe that we are going to get more resources, so it is about using the resources that I have in the most effective way.

“I need to make sure that we are able to deliver normal policing against the backdrop of the terrorist threat that unfortunately prevails.”