Former Scotland Yard commander John O’Connor
FORMER SCOTLAND YARD COMMANDER John O’Connor fears that Fermanagh may not be suitable for the G8 Summit. Speaking yesterday Mr O’Connor voiced his fears at the ability of the police to fulfil their role and was concerned about the role officers from the rest of the UK will play.
He has also questioned the logistics in place and feared that the Army may have to step in to plug the gaps.
A similar view has been shared by Brian Docherty, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, who finds it “unbelievable” that such a decision was made by the British Government. Citing recent demonstrations in Belfast and the need for officers to be drafted in from the UK Mr Docherty admits he finds it ‘strange’ such an event has been brought to Northern Ireland considering that the working conditions and the threat to officers is completely different to the rest of the UK.
Almost 3,000 police officers have volunteered to be part of the security for the G8 Summit in what will be the largest operation ever conducted by the PSNI.
The summit, being held at the Lough Erne Resort on June 17 and 18 will require a mass mobilisation of police forces ahead of the world leaders descending upon Fermanagh. The number of officers required for the operation is more than can be provided by the PSNI and, as such, more than 3,000 officers will be brought in from other police forces in Britain, under what is called ‘an agreement for mutual aid’.
It will also be the first time a large number of officers from other parts of the UK have been deployed in Northern Ireland.
It is understood that the initial request for additional officers was in fact oversubscribed, with some police forces having to use selection processes to bring down numbers.
Police unions in Britain have advised their members not to volunteer for duty until a range of issues are resolved.
A statement from the Police federation of England and Wales released yesterday revealed that they are in negotiations with the UK government about what ‘mutual aid’ means to police officers.
The statement added that, only when these details are known, will they be able to advice officers on any deployment in Northern Ireland.
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