PSNI step up dissident crackdown
The number of patrols and checkpoints is being stepped up
Police in Northern Ireland have begun what is being described as a major operation aimed at disrupting potential dissident republican activity.
Operation Dissent, which began at 1900 BST on Friday, will result in more police patrols and checkpoints in some areas across Northern Ireland.
New Chief Constable Matt Baggott takes over the reins of the PSNI on Tuesday.
It is understood senior police officers fear dissident republicans will attempt to mark his arrival with an attack.
The operation began as a second night of dissident-inspired rioting was getting under way in the County Armagh town of Lurgan.
Vans were hijacked and burnt on the main Belfast to Dublin railway line during trouble sparked by the jailing of three local men over a dissident republican mortar bomb plot to murder police.
In a statement, police said they would put a "high visibility" operation in place across Northern Ireland "following a recent increase in dissident republican activity".
'Murderous intent'
The PSNI said the operation would take place at a "variety of places and times".
"In addition to countering what police believe is an increase in threat from dissident republicans, the operation is designed to also prevent and detect travelling criminals and also influence driver behaviour, particularly in rural areas where there have been a number of tragic fatal crashes in recent weeks," the statement added.
"Police apologise in advance for the inconvenience this operation will cause, but seek the public's patience and support in what we believe is a necessary step to prevent those with murderous intent going about their business."
Last week, a 600lb bomb was defused at Forkhill in south Armagh, a device which police said was designed to kill its officers.
BBC reporter Natasha Sayee said there were fears among senior police officers that dissidents were planning a "spectacular attack" ahead of Mr Baggott's arrival.
Northern Ireland's watchdog on paramilitary activity, the Independent Monitoring Commission, said in May that the dissident threat was higher than at any time in the past five years.
Two months earlier, the dissident republican Real IRA killed two soldiers outside an Army base in Antrim, while later that month the Continuity IRA shot dead a policeman in Craigavon.
In January, a 300lb bomb was defused in Castlewellan, County Down. It is thought it was planted by dissident republicans trying to target the Ballykinler army base.
In May, the component parts of another fertiliser bomb were found near Rosslea in County Fermanagh.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8263983.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8263983.stm)
Quote from: MAGPIE on September 19, 2009, 06:29:55 PM
PSNI step up dissident crackdown
The number of patrols and checkpoints is being stepped up
Police in Northern Ireland have begun what is being described as a major operation aimed at disrupting potential dissident republican activity.
Operation Dissent, which began at 1900 BST on Friday, will result in more police patrols and checkpoints in some areas across Northern Ireland.
New Chief Constable Matt Baggott takes over the reins of the PSNI on Tuesday.
It is understood senior police officers fear dissident republicans will attempt to mark his arrival with an attack.
The operation began as a second night of dissident-inspired rioting was getting under way in the County Armagh town of Lurgan.
Vans were hijacked and burnt on the main Belfast to Dublin railway line during trouble sparked by the jailing of three local men over a dissident republican mortar bomb plot to murder police.
In a statement, police said they would put a "high visibility" operation in place across Northern Ireland "following a recent increase in dissident republican activity".
'Murderous intent'
The PSNI said the operation would take place at a "variety of places and times".
"In addition to countering what police believe is an increase in threat from dissident republicans, the operation is designed to also prevent and detect travelling criminals and also influence driver behaviour, particularly in rural areas where there have been a number of tragic fatal crashes in recent weeks," the statement added.
"Police apologise in advance for the inconvenience this operation will cause, but seek the public's patience and support in what we believe is a necessary step to prevent those with murderous intent going about their business."
Last week, a 600lb bomb was defused at Forkhill in south Armagh, a device which police said was designed to kill its officers.
BBC reporter Natasha Sayee said there were fears among senior police officers that dissidents were planning a "spectacular attack" ahead of Mr Baggott's arrival.
Northern Ireland's watchdog on paramilitary activity, the Independent Monitoring Commission, said in May that the dissident threat was higher than at any time in the past five years.
Two months earlier, the dissident republican Real IRA killed two soldiers outside an Army base in Antrim, while later that month the Continuity IRA shot dead a policeman in Craigavon.
In January, a 300lb bomb was defused in Castlewellan, County Down. It is thought it was planted by dissident republicans trying to target the Ballykinler army base.
In May, the component parts of another fertiliser bomb were found near Rosslea in County Fermanagh.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8263983.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8263983.stm)
Did the PSNI run out of letters or that they let Officer Dyslexia write the press release.
Any excuse - coming out of Healy Park night after the junior final last night, they had a 3 mile long queue of traffic when the match had ended.
Very strategic location targeting all the dissidents in Healy Park no doubt. ??? ::) ::) ::)
stopped more times in the last two days than in the last three years
Quote from: orangeman on September 19, 2009, 10:03:41 PM
Any excuse - coming out of Healy Park night after the junior final last night, they had a 3 mile long queue of traffic when the match had ended.
Very strategic location targeting all the dissidents in Healy Park no doubt. ??? ::) ::) ::)
Exact same thing coming out of the Athletic Grounds on Friday evening. Would the dissidents be dumb enough to transport stuff when big GAA matches are on?
Quote from: Orior on September 20, 2009, 09:35:14 PM
Quote from: orangeman on September 19, 2009, 10:03:41 PM
Any excuse - coming out of Healy Park night after the junior final last night, they had a 3 mile long queue of traffic when the match had ended.
Very strategic location targeting all the dissidents in Healy Park no doubt. ??? ::) ::) ::)
Exact same thing coming out of the Athletic Grounds on Friday evening. Would the dissidents be dumb enough to transport stuff when big GAA matches are on?
Coming out of Newry from the match was the same thing this evening.
Has someone in the PSNI/Special Branch been watching the wire or has Jimmy McNulty got a job in headquarters in Knock after losing his job with the Baltimore PD? For those of you who aren't fans of the wire I`ll set the scene. McNulty, pissed at not getting any overtime because of a cut in the Baltimore PD budget, took it upon himself to invent a serial killer who was stalking the city's homeless. To cut a long story short any time a homeless person was found dead McNulty made it look like he had been a victim of his fictitious serial killer. The city responded by throwing money at the PD, lots of overtime for McNulty and Co and everyone was happy, until the truth came out.
It has been well documented of late that the PSNI has money problems of its own, it is set to lose almost 20% of its annual budget and in my opinion someone may well be using the threat of dissident republicans to try to get some of that money back. The invisible bomb in Forkhill and the security alert in Fermanagh, that was predicted by a member of this board, being two examples of a threat to "national security". Very few people in South Armagh, other than Danny Kennedy and Willie Frazer, believe that there was bomb in Forkhill. If there was no bomb, then serious questions have to be asked as to what is really going on and why all local politicians are suddenly singing from the same hymn sheet.
Events earlier in the year showed that there is still a threat to the security forces in the north, but the so called dissidents are not going to leave a 600lb bomb in the republican heartland of South Armagh, where a bomb of that size would have caused multiple deaths and widespread destruction. The road that this bomb was supposed to have been left on is not a road that the police would use regularly if it all, yet that same police saw fit to leave what they described as a viable device for 3 days before even coming out to look for it, did they know something in advance?
They have got their overtime now and operation dissent will probably catch a few drunk drivers and people with no mot, but it probably wont catch one person with a gun or explosives. I would bet that their budget shortfall will also be found now that the bogey men are back.
Quote from: Cúig huaire on September 20, 2009, 10:21:35 PM
Has someone in the PSNI/Special Branch been watching the wire or has Jimmy McNulty got a job in headquarters in Knock after losing his job with the Baltimore PD? For those of you who aren't fans of the wire I`ll set the scene. McNulty, pissed at not getting any overtime because of a cut in the Baltimore PD budget, took it upon himself to invent a serial killer who was stalking the city's homeless. To cut a long story short any time a homeless person was found dead McNulty made it look like he had been a victim of his fictitious serial killer. The city responded by throwing money at the PD, lots of overtime for McNulty and Co and everyone was happy, until the truth came out.
It has been well documented of late that the PSNI has money problems of its own, it is set to lose almost 20% of its annual budget and in my opinion someone may well be using the threat of dissident republicans to try to get some of that money back. The invisible bomb in Forkhill and the security alert in Fermanagh, that was predicted by a member of this board, being two examples of a threat to "national security". Very few people in South Armagh, other than Danny Kennedy and Willie Frazer, believe that there was bomb in Forkhill. If there was no bomb, then serious questions have to be asked as to what is really going on and why all local politicians are suddenly singing from the same hymn sheet.
Events earlier in the year showed that there is still a threat to the security forces in the north, but the so called dissidents are not going to leave a 600lb bomb in the republican heartland of South Armagh, where a bomb of that size would have caused multiple deaths and widespread destruction. The road that this bomb was supposed to have been left on is not a road that the police would use regularly if it all, yet that same police saw fit to leave what they described as a viable device for 3 days before even coming out to look for it, did they know something in advance?
They have got their overtime now and operation dissent will probably catch a few drunk drivers and people with no mot, but it probably wont catch one person with a gun or explosives. I would bet that their budget shortfall will also be found now that the bogey men are back.
I would say you're right.
The dissidents are rioting in Lurgan, leaving bombs in South Armagh, and shooting soldiers in Antrim.
A sample GAAboard thread on the issue has produced 7 comments, including a bizarre PSNI overtime scam, 3 complaints about the tailbacks caused by searches, and a pedantic note on spelling.
The PSNI really can't win with thinking like this. They're doomed if they do, and doomed if they don't. And I suppose they'll somehow cop the blame when the dissidents actually do get around to killing civilians.
There really is a fucked up mindset prevalent in Northern Ireland.
Quote from: thewobbler on September 20, 2009, 10:30:50 PM
The dissidents are rioting in Lurgan, leaving bombs in South Armagh, and shooting soldiers in Antrim.
A sample GAAboard thread on the issue has produced 7 comments, including a bizarre PSNI overtime scam, 3 complaints about the tailbacks caused by searches, and a pedantic note on spelling.
The PSNI really can't win with thinking like this. They're doomed if they do, and doomed if they don't. And I suppose they'll somehow cop the blame when the dissidents actually do get around to killing civilians.
There really is a fucked up mindset prevalent in Northern Irel and.
True - they're rioting in Lurgan and what are the police doing ? They're standing watching them from miles away and the stopping cars coming out of GAA grounds. F--ked up alright.
Quote from: thewobbler on September 20, 2009, 10:30:50 PM
The dissidents are rioting in Lurgan, leaving bombs in South Armagh, and shooting soldiers in Antrim.
A bunch of teenagers rioting is now classed as "dissidents"? Whenever there was a riot in Derrybeg was that the IRA or was it local youths? It suits a certain agenda to blame everything on the so called dissidents and as for the bomb in Forkhill, its a bit like the Loch Ness Monster, some people claim to have seen it, but the locals dont believe a word of it.
several check points in south belfast. not known to be a hot bed for dissident republican activity. how do they decide who to pull over?
Quote from: dodgy umpire on September 20, 2009, 11:06:24 PM
several check points in south belfast. not known to be a hot bed for dissident republican activity. how do they decide who to pull over?
Anyone without a "wear your poppy with pride" sticker on the windscreen.
Quote from: dodgy umpire on September 20, 2009, 11:06:24 PM
several check points in south belfast. not known to be a hot bed for dissident republican activity. how do they decide who to pull over?
Some of that is probably to placate the great british unionst loyalist chattering classes who complain cause they dont see policemen out walking their beat.
Quote from: thewobbler on September 20, 2009, 10:30:50 PM
The dissidents are rioting in Lurgan, leaving bombs in South Armagh, and shooting soldiers in Antrim.
A sample GAAboard thread on the issue has produced 7 comments, including a bizarre PSNI overtime scam, 3 complaints about the tailbacks caused by searches, and a pedantic note on spelling.
The PSNI really can't win with thinking like this. They're doomed if they do, and doomed if they don't. And I suppose they'll somehow cop the blame when the dissidents actually do get around to killing civilians.
There really is a fucked up mindset prevalent in Northern Ireland.
Your observations are of the Gaa Board. I haven't heard one person up here make a comment like those you observe. The fucked up mindset is not prevalent in Northern Ireland.
Checkpoints cause traffic delay
Checkpoints have been set up on both decks of the bridge
Police check points on Craigavon Bridge in Londonderry caused traffic disruption during rush hour on Monday.
Officers were on both decks of the bridge which left long traffic queues on each entrance.
One parent, who did not want to be named, said it had taken him nearly 90 minutes to get from the Waterside to take his children to school. On Friday, the PSNI began Operation Dissent aimed at disrupting potential dissident republican activity.
The police said it would result in more police patrols and checkpoints in some areas across Northern Ireland.
QuoteOne parent, who did not want to be named, said it had taken him nearly 90 minutes to get from the Waterside to take his children to school.
Used to be a relativly common occurance on the way to/from school there. Many hours wasted on the school bus.
Quote from: dodgy umpire on September 20, 2009, 11:06:24 PM
several check points in south belfast. not known to be a hot bed for dissident republican activity. how do they decide who to pull over?
not sure who they pull over.are they just checking licenses? whereabouts were they?
they were checking ones out by jordanstown this morning-id say a few freshers could be done for drink driving if they have been out the night before.
Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers are to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown later.
Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness will discuss with Mr Brown a budget for the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Executive.
Talks last Wednesday ended without an overall package being agreed, although both men said progress had been made.
It is understood the issues of equal pay and hearing loss claims were a sticking point.
Ahead of Monday's meeting, Mr McGuinness said it was important for the DUP and Sinn Fein to reach a deal now as there will not be a better one in the future.
"We expect Gordon Brown to do the right thing by finance and believe there is responsibility on us to strike a deal," said the Sinn Fein MP.
The two men had been expected to ask Mr Brown if he was prepared to fund a budget shortfall estimated to be about £600m.
Officials have been working over the summer on the figures but sources in Belfast said the Treasury has not narrowed the gap sufficiently.
The Conservative Party's Northern Ireland spokesman, Owen Paterson, warned his party would not give any guarantees about the funding of policing and justice powers.
Mr Robinson had called on Tory leader David Cameron to approve any financial package offered by the prime minister, saying there was no point agreeing a package with one government when another might take over.
Quote from: orangeman on September 20, 2009, 10:35:35 PM
True - they're rioting in Lurgan and what are the police doing ? They're standing watching them from miles away and the stopping cars coming out of GAA grounds. F--ked up alright.
To be far in Lurgan it is in the interest of their safety that they stay away, let it die down by itself. The whole point of rioting is to get them into the area in the first place.
Quote from: Cúig huaire on September 20, 2009, 10:39:53 PM
A bunch of teenagers rioting is now classed as "dissidents"?
Those 3 men jailed last week would have thrown a brick or two in their earlier days, so yes.
Was in Derry this morning around 8.30/9.00 and the place was chockerblocked.
The only vehicles I saw the police actually stopping were vans and small lorries. I didn't see any cars or that being pulled over.
Just been stopped for the third time in a day and a half, they'll need a new budget for the overtime pay alone!
Quote from: omagh_gael on September 21, 2009, 07:31:05 PM
Just been stopped for the third fifth time in a day and a half, they'll need a new budget for the overtime pay alone!
Driving through Killcoo last night and pulled in by the police for questioning. Man beside me was pulled in as well, he was getting done for faulty light on his cattle trailer. WTF has that got to do with dissident activity.
QuoteMan beside me was pulled in as well, he was getting done for faulty light on his cattle trailer. WTF has that got to do with dissident activity.
Just because they are concentrating on dissident activity means they should ignore every other law?
The lads came to our little village this morning to arrest one man. Came in 25 landrovers, had about 10 dogs, and 100 police officers.
Shocking use of resources.
Quote from: orangeman on September 22, 2009, 04:06:09 PM
The lads came to our little village this morning to arrest one man. Came in 25 landrovers, had about 10 dogs, and 100 police officers.
Shocking use of resources.
Sounds like they were expecting more than one suspect. Who counted the officers, dogs and landrovers?
Quote from: orangeman on September 22, 2009, 04:06:09 PM
The lads came to our little village this morning to arrest one man. Came in 25 landrovers, had about 10 dogs, and 100 police officers.
Shocking use of resources.
Think of the overtime bill for that. :o
Meanwhile Messers Robinson and McGuinness are in New York for talks with Gordon Brown on policing after talks on Monday failed to secure enough funding for the PSNI. Maybe Mr Brown is trying to tell them that the north is already over policed and they will just have to fall in to line with the rest of the UK.
These "attacks" and operation dissent are really happening at the right time indeed.
Quote from: orangeman on September 22, 2009, 04:06:09 PM
The lads came to our little village this morning to arrest one man. Came in 25 landrovers, had about 10 dogs, and 100 police officers.
Shocking use of resources.
3 cars & one Land Cruiser, 16 PSNI at the end of a lane where my mother lives (she's 87). There wouldn't be 10 cars
using this particular road in a day, yet here they were, lounging around, doing what i wonder??
Any similarity between these boyo's and Police Officers is purely co-incidental >:(
Is Operation Dissent still ongoing? Or have they secured enough funding from Mr Brown?
I`ve been in the north a few times over the last week and things seem to have calmed down again.
They were targetting commuters again around 6 on Monday in Lurgan.
Real commuters or continuity commuters?
official commuters
Strangely there is never an Operation Loyalist.
Quote from: Cúig huaire on October 01, 2009, 06:33:54 PM
Strangely there is never an Operation Loyalist.
Unfair... the 'security forces' couldn't be in two places at one time, could they?