West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Public urged to attend Carrickmore DPP meeting

Published: 23 February, 2010

Mid Tyrone Councillor, Ann Marie Fitzgerald has called on members of the public to attend Thursday evenings meeting of Omagh DPP which will be held in the Milestone Centre, Carrickmore, commencing at 7.30pm.

According to the Carrickmore representative "This is an opportunity for the people of Carrickmore and the wider Mid Tyrone area to raise important issues and question the PSNI about the service that they provide to this community.

"Like other dispersed rural communities throughout Ireland, Mid Tyrone also has to contend with anti social elements. This can take many forms from ram raids on local business premises to attacks on the elderly and home burglaries.

"Fear of crime is also a very prevalent issue, especially amongst older and vulnerable members of our community. To help address this issue, my colleagues on the DPP have requested that the first part of the meeting be focused on crime prevention and home security.

"This advice could prove very useful for people who live alone and feel frightened and vulnerable. It will also act as a useful precursor to the wide ranging community safety event which will be held next month.

Echoing Cllr Fitzgerald's call, Carrickmore resident and DPP member, Sean Begley said:

"As a party, we believe it is absolutely essential for members of the public to consult and, if necessary challenge the PSNI about what they are doing to make our communities safer. In order for policing to be effective, the public must raise issues that affect their lives and the life of the local community.

Cllr Begley concluded "DPP meetings in public are a transparent and open way for local people to hold the policing service to account. This is a fundamental cornerstone of our party's approach to policing and I encourage everyone with an interest in community safety and local policing issues to come and make their voices heard at the Milestone on Thursday evening".