MP Raises Policing “No Go Areas” in House of Commons

Speaking in the Housing Commons the MP for South Down Eddie McGrady told the Secretary of State that there was growing concerns that recent dissident activity had the potential to create a return to “No Go Areas” for the PSNI;

Speaking in the House of Commons the MP said;

“Does the Secretary of State know that a consequence of the horrific murders of the soldiers and the police officer is a tendency for police officers to withdraw from the communities that they serve, resulting in an increase in crime and antisocial behaviour? If that continues, there is a danger of recreating no-go areas, which we will not tolerate or accept. Such withdrawal is understandable for personal protection purposes, but it has to be addressed. I ask the Secretary of State to use his best endeavours to ensure that that tendency and drift is stopped and reversed because it assists the recruitment of dissident republicans, including very young people, in my constituency.”

The MP welcomed the Secretary of State’s statement outlining that  there will be no No-Go areas in Northern Ireland and said that he hopes in raising this issue it will highlight the communities support for the police and their fear that if No-Go areas become the norm once again this will create the vacuum in law in order that dissidents seek.

 Ends.