Top cop speaks out on shootings

And he also said his “organisation” is moving towards giving him substantial additional resources because of the threat faced in this area.

In a wide ranging interview Foyle Area Commander, Chris Yates commented on the local capacity to deal with dissident republican attacks - which this week saw the Real IRA claim responsibility for the brutal slaying of Kieran Doherty. There are also fifteen ongoing investigations into attacks by republican vigilante grouping, Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD).

Whilst Commander Yates said that there is a plethora of policing priorities crossing his desk at any one time, he told the Sentinel: “The number one priority for me is to protect life and we take this very seriously indeed.”

In the past week across Northern Ireland the spotlight fell on dissident republican activity when a car bomb exploded outside Newry Court House, a mortar bomb was abandoned outside Keady PSNI Station and trouble flared in Craigavon when police were lured into the area after the placement of a hoax device.

Mr Yates admits that the activities of dissidents in Londonderry has an impact on policing but said: “I’m actually fairly comfortable with the position I am in and my organisation is moving towards giving me substantial additional resources because of the threat we face in this particular area. Are we still able to deliver a day-to-day policing service in this city? Absolutely.”

The Sentinel also asked the area commander if the PSNI in Londonderry was currently equipped to deal with a renewed and sustained republican campaign of violence.

Chris Yates said: “Quite a sizeable majority of PSNI officers at Strand Road, are only PSNI officers. A lot of the experience we would have had from the previous terror campaign has left the organisation and has undoubtedly left skills gaps. That’s something we are moving towards putting right at this moment in time.”

Mr Yates would not be drawn on information received by the Sentinel over the RAAD shooting of the proprietor city centre shop Red Star, Raymond Coyle in January. We put it to the senior PSNI officer the lone gunman responsible for the serious wounding of Mr Coyle left the cartridges behind him in the wake of the attack. The Sentinel understands these shells were fired from a high powered Glock hand gun which emanated from Eastern Europe and therefore should have provided heavy forensic and ballistics information.

“The shooting of Mr Coyle is an ongoing investigation - there are fifteen or so similar investigations ongoing at this moment in time. Therefore I am not going to say anything in anyway undermines or jeopardises that enquiry.

“There are a number of lines of enquiry, ballistics being one of them, that are being looked at. And, there is a fairly substantial amount of forensic evidence that is at the lab and is being processed. So, I need to be very, very careful around commenting on specific information,” he said.

l For the full interview with Commander Yates, see Page 10