WATERING down neighbourhood policing teams in north and south Fermanagh has left communities exposed to crimes, dissident threats and has comprised safety, it has been claimed.
A number of Fermanagh councillors have expressed concern over a decision by the PSNI to amalgamate two teams in Kesh and two teams in Lisnaskea, with one north Fermanagh councillor saying it is a potential danger to withdraw officers from these areas.
The amalgamation is expected to go ahead on May 1.
In a statement issued to the Herald, Superintendent Alywin Barton confirmed that police presence in effected areas will be reduced and explained its impact on neighbourhood work.
He said: “In Kesh the neighbourhood policing team will operate in two halves to cover the majority of the day time coverage as at present, numbers will be reduced and the impact will be where response to calls have to be prioritised over traditional neighbourhood work.
“I ask the community to understand this necessity to prioritise and that we will seek to keep any disruption to a minimum.
“Night time coverage will continue to be provided from Enniskillen deploying patrols into the area.
“I ask the community to understand this necessity to prioritise and that we will seek to keep any disruption to a minimum.
“Prioritisation may mean officers called away from appointments and commitments to provide an emergency service, this could always have happened but may be more impactive now.
“The changes have become necessary due to a reduction in numbers.”
Sinn Fein councillor Debbie Coyle said the watering down of the service which has been worked on for years will not help community relations between some local residents and police officers.
“It’s worrying that they are watering down a service which has been worked on for years in trying to establish a relationship between locals and neighbourhood policing,” she said.
“There has been a lot of work put into this policing and I understand that have certain resources but it doesn’t seem to be a good idea. I think this service is vital to preventing crime.
“It seems a shame that a service which was to be going in a positive direction is being diluted.”
North Fermanagh UUP councillor Raymond Farrell commended local officers but expressed his concerns over the withdrawal of community officers.
He highlighted the rising number of burglaries in the area and explained the people in north Fermanagh need police presence.
He added: “I have to say that the policemen and women in that area are doing a great job in engaging with the community but the actual police themselves are being done an injustice in withdrawing manpower to facilitate these other areas and it’s leaving my area exposed. We don’t want our safety comprised.
“I would sense there may be an impact on local policing in an area which is susceptible to crimes and severe dissident threat that hasn’t gone away.
“I feel there is a potential danger in this and I will let them convince me otherwise. We need to reassurance from police.”
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