Fair Cop

One young youth worker's experience of walking through Maghera one night.

Two members of the board respond with different accounts on Adrian Donaldson’s resignation. 

Justice Minister lays out reforms for the police practice of storing DNA profiles

The Policing Board has confirmed that chief executive Adrian Donaldson has stepped down. Image courtesy of Castlereagh Borough Council.

With devolution in Northern Ireland has come full ownership of many vital state functions, including the penal system. It is, however, plagued by many of the same problems prison services around the world – particularly when it comes to young people.

Paula Bradshaw, of the Greater Village Regeneration Trust, shares her thoughts on stop and search.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board today launched its annual Human Rights report with a panel discussion streamed live right here on FairCop.org. The discussion brought up several important issues in policing and human rights - distribution of the images of young people, age of criminal responsibility, detection and resolution of hate crime - but also highlighted some important tensions between human rights and policing.

AS Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People my job is to promote and safeguard the rights and best interests of children and young people.
Quite often young people tell me they are worried that their rights and best interests are not always catered for properly when they encounter police officers.

The starting point is the individual, their interest in learning from others on equal terms, and the desire for positive change. The first step is to create a safe space for building trust, listening, learning, and an openness to new methods and ideas. Young people need to feel empowered to express their views, in their own style, in the presence of police officers.