Joe Brolly

[whitey]

So let me ask a really stupid question.

Instead of complaining about the PSNI, why dont Catholics flood the ranks and take over?

[imtommygunn]

One reason would be there are stillpeople who will threaten your life forit. Who wants to go out and have to check your car for a bomb every morning.

There is still possibility of it happening.

[Milltown Row2]

You're the one who brought up omagh. No one said it was the ruc that did it,or suggested it. The point was that possibly dissident bomb threats might be concocted.not all of them,but possibly some in order to inconvenience those in nationalist areas in order to thwart support for dissidents. Are you telling me that is not a possibility? You yourself have stated before it was a dirty war,with the battle for hearts and minds a huge part of that war.no need for the shite at the end of your post either,it's a discussion.

You are thinking that, it's your thoughts, winning hearts and minds against dissidents isn't difficult and putting up bomb threats won't make any normal law bidding person think any more or less of them!

With respect to Omagh there was a poster that said the cops were to blame

[redhandefender]

Boys stop throwing the Omagh bomb around a stupid GAA forum, leave it at that.

[BennyCake]

You're the one who brought up omagh. No one said it was the ruc that did it,or suggested it. The point was that possibly dissident bomb threats might be concocted.not all of them,but possibly some in order to inconvenience those in nationalist areas in order to thwart support for dissidents. Are you telling me that is not a possibility? You yourself have stated before it was a dirty war,with the battle for hearts and minds a huge part of that war.no need for the shite at the end of your post either,it's a discussion.

Exactly.

And you're right. I never mentioned Omagh. Nor did I say all events in the troubles were blamed on the security forces/mi5.

[Owen Brannigan]

So let me ask a really stupid question.

Instead of complaining about the PSNI, why dont Catholics flood the ranks and take over?

If SF truly believed in having a community police force then it would be encouraging and championing the recruitment of young Catholics but it doesn't, simply paying lip service to PSNI support while sitting on the Policing Boards.  Just another Adams' strategy to maintain community agitation and strife. 

[Owen Brannigan]

Boys stop throwing the Omagh bomb around a stupid GAA forum, leave it at that.

It should never be left.  It is an inconvenient truth for some that the IRA killed and maimed more from the Catholic community than any of the other agents in conflict.  Too many want to 'move on' and forget the 31 dead and hundreds of the forgotten who carry their wounds every day as well as all those others who were killed and maimed by the IRA/UVF/UDA and others under their flags of convenience over 30 years.  Then you have the hypocrisy of SF who want some to 'move on' but want others to have special treatment for their deaths. 

[vallankumous]

If SF truly believed in having a community police force then it would be encouraging and championing the recruitment of young Catholics but it doesn't, simply paying lip service to PSNI support while sitting on the Policing Boards.  Just another Adams' strategy to maintain community agitation and strife.

That's not the full story though and you know it.

Policing doesn't start or stop at community policing. There are no complaints about police dealing with shoplifting or drink driving.
If your issue is with SF then you only only fighting a small part of the problem. This problem has many players including SF.

[Owen Brannigan]

If SF truly believed in having a community police force then it would be encouraging and championing the recruitment of young Catholics but it doesn't, simply paying lip service to PSNI support while sitting on the Policing Boards.  Just another Adams' strategy to maintain community agitation and strife.

That's not the full story though and you know it.

Policing doesn't start or stop at community policing. There are no complaints about police dealing with shoplifting or drink driving.
If your issue is with SF then you only only fighting a small part of the problem. This problem has many players including SF.

Who are they?  Why does SF not go all out to ensure that Catholics would feel comfortable in a career in community policing?

[Spike]

If SF truly believed in having a community police force then it would be encouraging and championing the recruitment of young Catholics but it doesn't, simply paying lip service to PSNI support while sitting on the Policing Boards.  Just another Adams' strategy to maintain community agitation and strife.

That's not the full story though and you know it.

Policing doesn't start or stop at community policing. There are no complaints about police dealing with shoplifting or drink driving.
If your issue is with SF then you only only fighting a small part of the problem. This problem has many players including SF.

Who are they?  Why does SF not go all out to ensure that Catholics would feel comfortable in a career in community policing?

That's not their job. Recruitment is the PSNIs job.  If they are piss poor at it then its hardly SFs fault.  SF were to say it is ok to join, sit on boards, encourage referring of crimes to police, condemn attacks etc etc etc  - and that's what they do.  Its not their job (or any other partys) to hold recruitment fairs, advertise, cajole or push people into it.  Its not the GAAs either.  If PSNI need recruits from nationalist backgrounds then its their job to recruit them. Actions, words, community involvement etc are all needed by the PSNI.     I have never seen them engage with my club, businesses, community groups. Not once. They are not interested.   The local unionist politician to creggan couldn't even get the spelling of their name right.  The PSNI have no interest in the GAA, Unionists have no interest in the GAA.  The GAA is a collection of people from the parish therefore the PSNI needs to engage with all elements in the parish eg schools, community clubs, GAA, local businesses, youth groups etc etc.  The sudden focus on GAA is just a reaction to the article.   

[vallankumous]

Who are they?  Why does SF not go all out to ensure that Catholics would feel comfortable in a career in community policing?

You know who they are.

I'm banging my head against a wall here. Your problem with policing is really your problem with SF.
Again with the Community policing. Not that I care what SF do most of the time but they do support community policing. They have no choice as communities need policing. The only reason they joined the board was to break the wall between communities and police. They didn't do nor can they do it, to break the legacy of policing or the culture of political policing.
Can you accept that community policing is not the barrier to feeling safe?

[Owen Brannigan]

If SF truly believed in having a community police force then it would be encouraging and championing the recruitment of young Catholics but it doesn't, simply paying lip service to PSNI support while sitting on the Policing Boards.  Just another Adams' strategy to maintain community agitation and strife.

That's not the full story though and you know it.

Policing doesn't start or stop at community policing. There are no complaints about police dealing with shoplifting or drink driving.
If your issue is with SF then you only only fighting a small part of the problem. This problem has many players including SF.

Who are they?  Why does SF not go all out to ensure that Catholics would feel comfortable in a career in community policing?

That's not their job. Recruitment is the PSNIs job.  If they are piss poor at it then its hardly SFs fault.  SF were to say it is ok to join, sit on boards, encourage referring of crimes to police, condemn attacks etc etc etc  - and that's what they do.  Its not their job (or any other partys) to hold recruitment fairs, advertise, cajole or push people into it.  Its not the GAAs either.  If PSNI need recruits from nationalist backgrounds then its their job to recruit them. Actions, words, community involvement etc are all needed by the PSNI.     I have never seen them engage with my club, businesses, community groups. Not once. They are not interested.   The local unionist politician to creggan couldn't even get the spelling of their name right.  The PSNI have no interest in the GAA, Unionists have no interest in the GAA.  The GAA is a collection of people from the parish therefore the PSNI needs to engage with all elements in the parish eg schools, community clubs, GAA, local businesses, youth groups etc etc.  The sudden focus on GAA is just a reaction to the article.   

I am not saying that SF should recruit for the PSNI but we have yet to see any genuine and unequivocal statement from SF to encourage young people to join the community police force as a career and a statement to their supporters that the community and community workers should engage with the community police for the benefit of all.

PSNI do a very good job in engaging with the community in schools, colleges, youth groups and community events but they do rely on invitations to get involved and replies to their offers to become involved in schools, youth groups, etc.  Given the considerable antagonism, resentment and fear I have witnessed in some of those involved in these organisations when the PSNI have made offers to become involved or to offer services then it is not surprising that people don't see the PSNI involved in their local areas and organisations.  Just look at the storm recently created by SF with regard to a tweet from a school regarding information given by a visiting PSNI officer. Is it any wonder that leaders in schools and youth organisations have become wary about involving PSNI in providing key services to their organisations?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37998496

[Owen Brannigan]

Who are they?  Why does SF not go all out to ensure that Catholics would feel comfortable in a career in community policing?

You know who they are.

I'm banging my head against a wall here. Your problem with policing is really your problem with SF.
Again with the Community policing. Not that I care what SF do most of the time but they do support community policing. They have no choice as communities need policing. The only reason they joined the board was to break the wall between communities and police. They didn't do nor can they do it, to break the legacy of policing or the culture of political policing.
Can you accept that community policing is not the barrier to feeling safe?

If I knew who they were I wouldn't be asking you to name them.

SF joined the Police Boards and supported policing as a consequence of the St Andrew's agreement as the only way that the DUP would partner them in an Executive and allow them into government.

Can you accept that community policing is not the barrier to feeling safe?

What does this mean?

[redhandefender]

Boys stop throwing the Omagh bomb around a stupid GAA forum, leave it at that.

It should never be left.  It is an inconvenient truth for some that the IRA killed and maimed more from the Catholic community than any of the other agents in conflict.  Too many want to 'move on' and forget the 31 dead and hundreds of the forgotten who carry their wounds every day as well as all those others who were killed and maimed by the IRA/UVF/UDA and others under their flags of convenience over 30 years.  Then you have the hypocrisy of SF who want some to 'move on' but want others to have special treatment for their deaths.

Wise up you pri#k, did I say move on or forget. You don't know who is reading this I said stop bandying it about like a political football in an argument on a gaa forum, have a bit of respect

[Owen Brannigan]

Boys stop throwing the Omagh bomb around a stupid GAA forum, leave it at that.

It should never be left.  It is an inconvenient truth for some that the IRA killed and maimed more from the Catholic community than any of the other agents in conflict.  Too many want to 'move on' and forget the 31 dead and hundreds of the forgotten who carry their wounds every day as well as all those others who were killed and maimed by the IRA/UVF/UDA and others under their flags of convenience over 30 years.  Then you have the hypocrisy of SF who want some to 'move on' but want others to have special treatment for their deaths.

Wise up you pri#k, did I say move on or forget. You don't know who is reading this I said stop bandying it about like a political football in an argument on a gaa forum, have a bit of respect

I have the utmost respect for all of those killed and maimed in the conflict and firmly believe that they should never be forgotten or used in some twisted analysis of the conflict to excuse the perpetrators.  It was first raised and used as a political football by your fellow county man Il Bomber Destro, perhaps you would like to take up the issue with him.