Campaigners slam Police Ombudsman’s’ plastic bullet report

A local pressure group opposed to the use of plastic bullets has slammed the Police Ombudsman’s report into the use of plastic bullets due to be published next week as "lacking" and “merely perfunctory”.

The United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets group said in advance of the report that it lacked quantifiable and substantial research and therefore could not be relied upon to give a true reflection of events involving the use of plastic rounds.

The report out next Tuesday by the Ombudsman’s office covers the use of plastic bullets fired by the old police service the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the renamed force, the Police Service of Northern Ireland over the last 12 months.

More specifically the report deals with 36 plastic bullets being fired during incidents where 26 people were injured in this period.

According to sources the report focuses on complaints made by five of the 26 people injured and concludes the use of plastic bullets were ‘justified’ and used in situations where there was ‘provocation’.

Clara Reilly spokesperson for the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets (UCAPB) said: “We find this situation absolutely incredible and one that will reinforce the view within the nationalist community that the Ombudsman's Office is a toothless tiger. It is clear that with such findings that this report lacked any real investigative procedures and was merely perfunctory.

“The use of plastic bullets on civilians contravenes international standards on human rights, which the British Government pledged to uphold. Aside from retaining plastic bullets, their use in numerous incidents over this past 12 months have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for any standards.”

According to the UCAPB the report is further lacking in that it cannot examine plastic bullets fired by the British army.

In addition the group says that unless there is a direct complaint to the Ombudsman’s office by someone who suffered an injury there is no independent record of such an injury.

The Police Ombudsman’s office said they would be unavailable to comment on the publication of the report next week.

(AMcE)