Opinion

Chief Constable offered images from the past

PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne deserves full credit for sacrificing his family commitments on Christmas morning to visit officers who were on duty at Crossmaglen in Co Armagh.

Unfortunately, he chose to post a picture from the trip on his Twitter account which strongly emphasised the past rather than the future of policing in the border region.

The photograph showed Mr Byrne standing outside the Crossmaglen station with four uniformed officers, two of whom were armed with Heckler and Koch high powered machine guns.

It has been well documented that south Armagh was previously the scene of prolonged and extreme violence during the height of the Troubles, with victims drawn from all sections of society and police officers regularly targeted in vicious and entirely unjustified attacks.

Police bases had to be heavily fortified, with officers routinely carrying a range of automatic weapons when they went out on dangerous patrols in armoured vehicles.

A new era in policing has since arrived which, although risks still undoubtedly exist, has brought much improved relations with residents and allowed a sense of normality to return to border districts.

Although dissident groups maintain sporadic activities, against the clearly expressed will of ordinary nationalists, the debate has moved on to a remarkable degree, with pressure growing for a more visible police presence to work with community representatives and bring criminals, including drug dealers and anti social elements, to justice.

The police must always be able to protect themselves, as well as the wider population, but extending the hand of friendship in both directions has paid many dividends and created a much more relaxed and positive environment.

Public displays involving officers carrying the kind of assault rifle which could be used in a full blown battle do not sit well with the heartening advances made over policing during the last two decades.

The chief constable was right to engage with his colleagues in Crossmaglen PSNI station but he might have also considered exchanging seasonal greetings with passers-by in nearby Cardinal O Fiaich Square.

He now has the opportunity to reflect on the imagery surrounding the trip and the message it sent out to people across south Armagh and beyond.