Devolution of Policing and Justice statement
05 Feb 2010
Chief Constable Matt Baggott has welcomed an announcement that agreement has been reached about the devolution of Policing and Justice.
He said, “I welcome the agreement to devolve responsibility for policing and justice as this now provides the Police Service of Northern Ireland with the certainty required to plan for the future.
I also welcome the security of the devolution financial package offered by the Prime Minister last autumn. This will better enable us to move forward with personal, professional and protective policing whilst also funding a number of legacy issues such as hearing loss claims.
I want to place on record again my commitment to continue to work closely with the Policing Board, and my recognition of the importance of their accountability role in the overall delivery of an effective Police Service in Northern Ireland.
I do believe that devolution is a step to a safer, secure, more peaceful Northern Ireland, and look forward to working with the new Minister and the Department of Justice in due course.”
