Shocking PSNI stop and search figures

Sinn Féin spokesperson on human rights, Caitríona Ruane MLA, has said that figures released showing that the PSNI and the British Army had stopped and searched 14,910 in the past 12 months using the repressive powers of the Terrorism Act are "shocking but not surprising".

The South Down MLA had slammed the PSNI only last week for harassing people in nationalist areas of South Down after she was stopped and held at a joint British Army/PSNI checkpoint. When Ruane asked what legislation she was being stopped under, the PSNI officer told her, "legislation, just emergency legislation", and became more abrasive when she asked why she was being hassled.

She took the details of the officer involved and will be raising the matter with the Police Ombudsman.

"Sinn Féin has long said that if you place instruments of repression into the hands of unaccountable individuals within the PSNI who have a long record of human rights abuses, then these weapons of repression will be used," said Ruane of the newly released statistics.

"These figures show a force using repressive measures with relish. This picture is far removed from the one continually portrayed by leading SDLP members who endorse this type of repressive policing. Time and again be it through the use of plastic bullets, CS gas, repressive legislation or the facilitation of anti-Catholic parades, the PSNI display to the world the true state of policing in the Six Counties."