Community support Police Ombudsman's role

The Police Ombudsman's Office has today learned that it has equal levels of support from both Protestants and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland.

According to the findings of an Independent survey, over 80% from both communities believe that the Ombudsman's Office is helping to improve the quality of policing.

The survey also revealed that more than four out of five people from both communities also believed that police officers and complainants would be treated fairly by the Police Ombudsman's Office.

Over 1,100 people took part in the survey, which is conducted annually by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

This year's results show a marked increase in support for the Police Ombudsman's Office among the Protestant community compared to previous years.

83% of Protestant respondents now believe the Police Ombudsman helps the police to do a good job, compared to just 65% in 2002. And 78% now believe the Office is impartial, up from just 51% four years ago.

Catholic confidence in the Office also remains high, with 84% of Catholics believing that the Office helps police do a good job, and 73% believing the Office is impartial.

Other results also show very little difference in perceptions of the Office between the two communities.

84% of all respondents believed they would be treated fairly by the Police Ombudsman's Office if they made a complaint about the police, while 89% believed police officers would be treated fairly.

People were also asked if they had ever experienced unacceptable behaviour from a police officer - 85% had not, 9% had on one or two occasions, and 4% said they had experienced it more frequently.

16% of Catholics and 14% of Protestants said they had experienced unacceptable behaviour from a police officer - most commonly that an officer had been disrespectful or impolite.

Commenting on the results, Police Ombudsman Mrs Nuala O'Loan said: 'I'm pleased that, according to these findings, the Police Ombudsman's Office is providing a service which the majority of people in Northern Ireland recognise as independent, impartial and fair to both members of the public and police officers.”

(EF)