PSNI to purchase six water cannon

Security Minister Jane Kennedy has announced that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is to order six water cannon.

In response to a Parliamentary Question on Thursday July 18, the Security Minister said: "The Police Service of Northern Ireland, following discussions with the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), will shortly place an order for six new vehicle-mounted water cannon. It is hoped that the water cannon will be delivered before the summer of 2003."

A proposal to purchase the water cannon was made by the Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn and has been endorsed by both the Policing Board and the Minister.

The decision to proceed with the purchase of the water cannon follows an independent medical adviser's interim statement on the medical implications of their use in a public order role.

The Minister welcomed the interim statement as a "very positive first step" that she said "cleared the way for the PSNI to procure water cannon in the knowledge that world-wide research shows an extremely low incidence of potentially life-threatening injuries".

However, Ms Kennedy said that while the water cannon would not replace plastic bullets they should help to "defuse violence and defer the point at which usage of baton rounds would be considered".

Welcoming the announcement, Chairman of the Policing Board, Professor Desmond Rea, said: “The Policing Board fully supported the proposal by the Acting Chief Constable to purchase the water cannon and I am pleased that approval has now been given to proceed.

“We recently saw the successful deployment of water cannon to deal with public order situations in Belfast and Drumcree. Whilst we understand water cannon is not effective in all situations, we believe it is a positive first step.”

He added that the government was in the process of completing extensive research into public order equipment and the Policing Board had asked for this to be completed as soon as possible.

(SP)