Remember the student protests back in December at Belfast City Hall ? Freedom of Information Requests revealed the following.
Question
What was the total cost for policing the student protest?
Answer
The total cost of policing the student protest was £18,077
Question
Could I also find out the cost of bringing in extra police officers to help with the operation?
Answer
The cost for deploying additional officers was £5,225.
Question
The cost of any overtime paid out to officers due to the length of the protest?
Answer
The overtime cost was £8,797.
Question
How many members of the PSNI were in attendance?
Answer
The PSNI refused to give the answer and instead said this:
Section 31
Disclosing the number of officers deployed for this situation could compromise the policing of future
protests. Those intent on causing harm or disruption could use operational information to their
advantage. This could weaken the methods and tactics used by the police and hinder the law
enforcement role of the Police.
Section 38
Divulging this information could assist those intent on unlawful activities, increasing the risk to
individuals, members of the public and officers.
Transparency and accountability - NOT!
