Justice Minister Naomi Long has told a major policing conference in Belfast that enduring public trust in the Police Service of Northern Ireland should be anchored in fairness, impartiality and accountability, and must stand above short-term political pressures.

Addressing the second day of the 'Foundations and Future: Policing 2026 and Beyond' conference at Ulster University Belfast, she reflected on the 25 years since the Patten review led to new policing arrangements. The event was organised by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Northern Ireland Policing Board, and hosted by QUB and Ulster University.

The Minister said: "The policing arrangements established 25 years ago were about more than the creation of a new police service. They also placed accountability firmly at the centre of policing. I believe that this accountability is not an obstacle to effective policing but is fundamentally what sustains the legitimacy of and confidence in policing.

"Public confidence in policing is not uniform, and we must acknowledge that some communities and individuals do not have the level of confidence we would want them to have. That confidence cannot be assumed. It must be earned, maintained and, where necessary, rebuilt.

"Northern Ireland's political landscape means it will inevitably face challenges, but lasting confidence must transcend the politics of the moment and be rooted in fair, impartial and accountable policing that serves all of our society. "A police service which serves the whole community must continually work to maintain the confidence of the whole community, including those who are most sceptical of it. This requires community engagement, it also requires integrity and ethical conduct, it requires respect and empathy, it requires fairness and impartiality, it requires effective accountability and it requires a willingness to listen, including when the messages being heard are difficult ones. All of this contributes to the legitimacy of the PSNI and policing by consent."

Long also highlighted how the operating environment has shifted markedly over the past quarter century, stressing the need for agility from police, oversight bodies, government and communities alike. She said: "Crime has changed, technology has changed, society has changed, and importantly, public expectations have changed. The criminal mind and crime types often evolve quicker than the policy or operational response – that is the world we live in and we all need to be more agile to face these emerging challenges.

"Those realities make the partnership between policing, its oversight bodies, government and communities all the more important. For my part, I remain committed to supporting the conditions in which effective, accountable and impartial policing can flourish."

In closing, the Minister urged continued commitment to reform and to building trust across all communities. In conclusion, the Minister said: "Our responsibility now is to protect the progress that has been made, to learn from the experience of the past 25 years, and to continue building policing arrangements capable of commanding public confidence in the years ahead.

"The evolution of policing in Northern Ireland continues to be viewed as a success story on the international stage – there remains a huge appetite to hear our story, to learn from us. That's a reminder of how far we have come and the successes we have had.

"And I want particularly to thank those who continue, every day, to work to keep our communities safe and to ensure that policing remains accountable to the people it serves."