The police & community must come together in this year of hope.

By working collaboratively, we can target those causing most harm to society and ensure that all young people have the skills, training and opportunities to create a better future and ensure we do not have another victim like Damilola.

I joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC (now Police Service of Northern Ireland) in November 1999 shortly after the Good Friday Agreement brought about relative peace and fundamental changes to society in Northern Ireland.

I had just turned 20 and was excited to join a career that allowed me to stand up to bullies and protect the most vulnerable in society.

My first posting was to Omagh, a small rural town, around 2 years after it suffered a terrorist incident which took the lives of 29 victims. The town was understandably still reeling from the incident and some of my colleagues were still suffering from what they witnessed on that day. Omagh at that time had a reasonable amount of crime and I was involved in a number of violent confrontations, domestic incidents and pursuits involving stolen vehicles. We were still driving about in armoured police cars and the army were still deployed to help us keep people safe. Some communities had such little confidence in policing that we had to fly in helicopters to attend normal policing calls.

Despite working in this environment, the death of Damilola Taylor stands out in my memory as one of the most tragic deaths at the time despite occurring hundreds of miles away. I remember seeing his face on the news and wondering how anyone could take away the future of such a young boy. I also thought about how his family must be feeling and had the utmost respect when his father Richard, had the courage to develop a trust to help other young people avoid losing their lives in similar circumstances.

In my 20 years in policing I have seen many tragedies that could have been avoided. I have dealt with victims, their families and offenders who often come from deprived backgrounds with limited opportunities to change their prospects. Crime is often a product of a person’s circumstances and we must look at the causes of crime if we ever hope to reduce it and protect those most vulnerable in society. Young people can often be stereotyped based on their appearance, the postcode in which they live and who they hang about with.

The reduction in neighbourhood policing in the last 5 years has meant that police officers and young people are not getting the opportunity to engage with each other in informal circumstances which allows both sides to see the people beneath the stereotyped beliefs we hold. Police officers are mothers, fathers and members of the community who happen to wear a uniform to uphold the responsibilities of all citizens. The vast majority of us want to make a difference to society but sometimes due to legacy issues and high crime levels in some areas, our interactions can leave us viewing entire communities based on the actions of a few offenders.

I have policed in the most hostile and hate filled environment in the UK and seen first-hand the heartache that can occur when the police are not seen as a legitimate organisation in some communities. The police and community must come together in this year of hope to tackle violence and get to the root causes of crime and a lack of trust and confidence in policing.

Andy George – Interim President
National Black Police Association