Sir, - The Policing Board is nearing completion. The SDLP has rightfully demonstrated its commitment to joining the board to uphold and see that the nationalist view is heard and fully represented. By participating in the Policing Board parties like the SDLP are illustrating their intention to ensure that the nationalist prospective is adequately voiced.
Over the next coming number of months there are critical decisions which are going to be taken by the board in respect to a number of issues such as: - A new human rights code of ethics for all police officers; a new appraisal system for all police officers, including appraisal of their human rights performance; a new training education and development strategy; consultation on the flag and badge of the police service, a new policing plan for Northern Ireland. By participation on the board the SDLP is leading the way for any changes that may need to be meet in relation to any key decisions made by the new board.
With rising increases in areas of lawlessness, drugs, sectarian attacks, punishment beatings, joy riding, intimidation and criminality. It is now fundamentally important to have a voice for nationalists from the SDLP to tackle these daily problems that face our local communities on a near-daily basis.
While parties like Sinn FΘin have refused to take their seats on the Policing Board, they have not only handed their seats away to benefit the unionist side of the coin, but without proper consultation have left the door wide open for their community's voice to go unrepresented and unheard in any future key decisions taken by the Policing Board.
By non-participation on Sinn Fein's behalf it is risking the elements of exclusion in respect to major decisions that may be taken by the board. The SDLP has constantly repeated that by its continued participation there lies the opportunity to maximise the impetus for change.
Since the Policing Bill was published the SDLP has secured over 94 key changes to policing. Valuable ground has been gained and the future success of the Policing Board depends on all parties including Sinn FΘin signing up to joining the board to project a new transformation of policing in Northern Ireland.
The mechanism is now right for all young nationalists to join the new policing service, the safeguards are now in place to protect and further implement a credible policing service that is non-sectarian, and widely acceptable for any nationalist person t o join.
It is a person's basis human right to make a choice of whether or not to join the policing service. No single political party has the right or justification to try and intimidate, infringe pressure or ostracize any young nationalist person in to a situation of making their decision on the new policing service. By the SDLP joining the board, this is one piece of the jigsaw that is there to uphold and defend nationalist fears of joining the new policing service. Policing reform is something that is going to take a period of time. A fresh start has to be made by all political parties to bring about reform. The SDLP is there to make that start in trying to bring about an ordinary sense of Policing to our country that has been so badly needed for generations.
Parties including Sinn FΘin should grab an opportunity in being part of bringing a new beginning to policing in Northern Ireland. The key changes that were made by the SDLP in the Policing Bill further demonstrate its commitment to looking to the future of defending and upholding nationalist's human rights in the new policing of Northern Ireland. - Yours, etc.,
Patrick Clarke, SDLP Youth, Castlewellan, Co Down.