PSNI Officers Forced Back Into Flak Jackets - 13-Dec-07

**OPPO** · 14-12-2007, 06:29

Got this article off of the "Police Oracle".
It may already be posted but just in case... SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!! NOT...
OPPO

"PSNI Officers Forced Back Into Flak Jackets - 13-Dec-07

Police officers in Belfast have been forced back into their flak jackets because of an increased threat from dissident republicans...

Police officers in Belfast have been forced back into their flak jackets because of an increased threat from dissident republicans.

Officers on duty in Greater Belfast have been told to put the body armour back on because several have been targeted over the last few weeks, according to Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) sources.

The move is a setback for the programme to demilitarise policing. Until the recent upsurge in dissident republican activity, officers patrolled Belfast without flak jackets and travelled in cars without armour. Two officers were shot in Derry and Dungannon last month. The Real IRA claimed responsibility for the attempted murders, in which the officers were lightly wounded.

A PSNI spokesman refused to discuss in detail new security arrangements after the shootings: "We keep our security response under constant review and it would not be appropriate to go into details on any measures we take." Security sources said there had been three separate threats against officers in Belfast over the last fortnight. They said the Real IRA had switched its attention towards Belfast after the shootings in Dungannon and Derry.

The attacks were carried out to coincide with the handing over of intelligence gathering against dissidents from the PSNI special branch to MI5.

The security services in Northern Ireland operate from a new £20m hi-tech building inside Palace barracks in Holywood.

A security source said: "There is strong intelligence that the dissidents are planning some kind of attack. Police officers on the ground have been told to be extra vigilant as we approach Christmas. We are working flat out between Belfast and the country to keep a lid on these guys."

The dissident groups have been responsible for a series of bomb hoaxes at Belfast shopping centres over the last fortnight. A bomb alert yesterday between Portadown and Moira partially closed the Belfast to Dublin rail link.

Targeting police officers is part of the dissidents' campaign against Sinn Féin, which at the start of this year formally offered its support to the reformed policing structures in Northern Ireland. The attacks are also aimed at dissuading Catholics from joining the PSNI. Most of the officers who have recently been told their movements were being watched are Catholics, security sources added.

The government is planning to devolve the control of policing and justice in Northern Ireland to the power-sharing executive.

However, the Democratic Unionist party has said that these powers cannot be devolved until the entire structure of the Provisional IRA is dismantled, including its ruling body, the army council."

**Invicta** · 14-12-2007, 09:31

It's no real surprise that the PSNI are wearing body armour again. This is a prudent and sensible precaution given that there have been two serious, recent attempts to murder PSNI officers in Dungannon and London/derry.

Officers walking the beat in England, Wales & Scotland (& RoI no doubt, but correct me if I'm wrong) routinely wear body armour to protect themselves against attackers armed with knives, so this is simple common sense.

These attempted murders are a worrying escalation from setting fire to B&Q in Newry, but, with any luck, this won't last long. In the last year or so the dissident campaigns splutterred out after a few weeks at most. They are so well infiltrated that I suspect it won't be long before there are arrests.

**Romeo_47** · 14-12-2007, 09:51

True, I've noticed recently. Where i live, more Police foot patrols up the town with the armour over the jackets. I guess i've never seen the armour go away from where i live, just the change of the green jacket to the yellow floresent jacket which has Police on the back of it.

**galgenberg** · 14-12-2007, 09:59

Originally Posted by Invicta

Officers walking the beat in England, Wales & Scotland (& RoI no doubt, but correct me if I'm wrong) routinely wear body armour to protect themselves against attackers armed with knives, so this is simple common sense.

Traffic wardens in Inverness wear body armour!(if they know what's good for them

)

**arby** · 14-12-2007, 10:16

Originally Posted by galgenberg

Originally Posted by Invicta

Officers walking the beat in England, Wales & Scotland (& RoI no doubt, but correct me if I'm wrong) routinely wear body armour to protect themselves against attackers armed with knives, so this is simple common sense.

Traffic wardens in Inverness wear body armour!(if they know what's good for them

)

If I get stopped one more time on the A92, they'll need more than body armour.

**psychynurse** · 14-12-2007, 10:37

I've seen a real change where I live, btw it's not far from one of the recent attacks on an off-duty police officer. I must keep an eye out when I go into town today. There's been no PSNI officers with body armour here for quite some time. I haven't seen an officer with a rifle in a couple of years. Romeo 47, are you a Belfast man by any chance? Have the landrovers come back out? It's only battenburgs (marked cars) here.

**quiller** · 14-12-2007, 10:42

landrovers haven't been away in Belfast.

**Whiskybreath** · 14-12-2007, 10:47

The sods with their radar guns seem to have been breeding. The A1 near Lisburn (where you'll never see an accident) is infested with them.

**Romeo_47** · 14-12-2007, 10:56

Originally Posted by psychynurse

I've seen a real change where I live, btw it's not far from one of the recent attacks on an off-duty police officer. I must keep an eye out when I go into town today. There's been no PSNI officers with body armour here for quite some time. I haven't seen an officer with a rifle in a couple of years. Romeo 47, are you a Belfast man by any chance? Have the landrovers come back out? It's only battenburgs (marked cars) here.

Check your PM's

**Romeo_47** · 14-12-2007, 10:59

Where I live, The Landrovers are a very common sight, It's like nothing has changed expect the paint on them. See about six of them coming out of a republican area, after carrying out a raid. They are starting to come out a bit more in the un-marked cars.

**LEGZ30** · 14-12-2007, 11:30

The body armour referred to in the article is ballistic body armour and not the stab vests worn by Police on the Mainland.

There have been a number of arrests after both shootings but no-one has been charged yet.

**Maggs84** · 14-12-2007, 12:47

They just keep the landrovers for my mrs comming out of the oddysey on a friday night.

**OPPO** · 14-12-2007, 19:22

Hopefully its nothing of concern, but things have gone sideways so many times before, I won't be surprised if it happens again...

**Romeo_47** · 14-12-2007, 20:29

Originally Posted by OPPO

Hopefully its nothing of concern, but things have gone sideways so many times before, I won't be surprised if it happens again...

Niether do i. Them fools in the Dissendents believe they have been sold out. I hope they can accpect the fact, they are no longer wanted, and they are attention seekers. Let the dissendents ramble on, they dont have the strength or balls to do anything very big.