Alliance Policing Board member John Blair has said it is vital efforts are maintained and stepped up to ensure the PSNI is representative of the community it serves and represents, as he marked the 20th anniversary of the service. Speaking ahead of the latest public policing board meeting, Mr Blair said it was important to […]
Alliance Policing Board member John Blair has backed a new PSNI student officer recruitment campaign, aimed at creating a more inclusive force. The South Antrim MLA said as the PSNI marks its 20th anniversary, it was vital it continues to reflect within its ranks the community it serves and represents. He added: “I’m […]
It is imperative the work of the Police Ombudsman remains independent and free from political interference, Alliance MLA John Blair has said. The Alliance Policing Board member was speaking during an Assembly debate criticising the Ombudsman and calling for a full inspection of the organisation. Alliance MLAs voted against the DUP motion, with Mr Blair […]
The PSNI, along with other major institutions, need to outline the measures they are taking to prevent a repeat of the Sarah Everard case occurring here, Alliance Policing Board representative John Blair MLA has said. Mr Blair was speaking after raising the matter in the Assembly this morning. Metropolitan police officer Wayne Couzens has been […]
Alliance Policing Board representative John Blair MLA has criticised the PSNI after it confirmed its officers were responsible for sharing leaflets which linked rape victims to drinking alcohol. Police said the leaflets, which were distributed to students at the Magee Campus of the Ulster University, follows a previous similar incident in Belfast last year. “This […]
Alliance MLA John Blair has said the recommendations within the South Armagh Policing Review are not without future challenges. Mr Blair, the Alliance Party’s representative on the Police Board, was speaking after further details had been revealed on Tuesday morning, which included wide-ranging ideas for future operations. He added: “This remains a challenging situation which […]
The findings of a Police Ombudsman report into the murder of a Catholic teenager by the UDA is further evidence why the UK Government’s amnesty proposals are a bad idea, Alliance MLA John Blair has said. The Ombudsman found ‘significant failures’ in the police investigation into the killing of Damien Walsh in 1993, who died […]
Alliance East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson has praised police after the seizure of drugs and money following searches in Carrickfergus. The Class B and C drugs, alongside £100,000 in cash, were found at two houses in the town by officers from the PSNI’s Tactical Support Group. Four people were also searched and inquiries into the […]
Alliance Policing Board member John Blair MLA has said his thoughts remain with people unable to properly mourn the death of loved ones during the pandemic, after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) upheld its decision not to prosecute anyone in relation to the Bobby Storey funeral. The PPS originally made the decision to not prosecute […]
An independent report into the PSNI’s handling of the Bobby Storey funeral which found there was no bias in its actions shows the need for elected representatives to follow due process, Alliance Policing Board member John Blair MLA has said. Mr Blair was speaking following the publication of the report by the Her Majesty’s Inspectorate […]