The Peace PeopleMr. Rea
Chair
Policing Board of N. Ireland
31 Clarendon Road
Belfast BT1 3BG
14 April 2005Dear Mr. Rea
I wish to express the concern of the Peace People at the news of the Police Board's decision to endorse the purchase of a new form of plastic bullet (AEP). We are concerned that not enough consultation took place about this decision, and that more information is needed about this new weaponry, its cost and impact. This new 'attenuated energy projectile' apparently will be available for use during the upcoming marching season this summer.
We urge the Policing Board and PSNI to ban plastic bullets and any intended alternatives.
It is claimed that these new bullets are 'less lethal' than the ones they are replacing which killed 17 people in the North during the Troubles including 9 children, and which permanently maimed and injured thousands of people. I understand that the Policing Board held no public meetings on the matter and did not seek independent medical advice.
The Peace People have campaigned tirelessly over the years against violence as a way to resolve conflict and unrest. We welcome the fact that no plastic bullets were fired in recent times. We believe, however, that the promotion of a culture of nonviolence is the way forward. We urge the Policing Board and PSNI to be more proactive in promoting this by investing more resources into the research, training and implementation of nonviolent strategies for conflict resolution. We realise that local communities also need training and education to ensure a culture of non-violence in our society.
We believe that violence breeds violence and that when the police use violence as a way to resolve civil unrest and disturbance it exacerbates a violent reaction.
We urge you, therefore, to adopt alternative non-violent methods for policing as the way to achieve a more sustainable peace in our society.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with members of the Policing Board.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Cassidy, Chair
c.c. Hugh Orde, Chief Constable PSNI
Nuala O'Loan, Police Ombudsman