PNIS face court action over failure to protect homes

Wednesday August 14, 2002 07:08

by McMean

Nationalist living along a notorious north Belfast interface are planning legal action against Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn after claims he failed to protect peoples' homes.

It is understood that up to 30 families living along
Alliance Avenue in Ardoyne have sought legal advice about suing
the police for the failure to build an extended security fence.

While security fencing on a part of Alliance Avenue was extended
by 250 metres in February of this year around 30 homes were
excluded from the scheme.

At that time British security minister Jane Kennedy had said the
increased fencing was being erected to "provide the sense of
increased security sought by all residents."

Since then the houses have been continually attacked with petrol,
pipe and blast bombs.

On Saturday afternoon police reported hearing at least two bursts
of gunfire from the Glenbryn area.

If the legal action goes ahead, Ms Kennedy may be called in
connection to a letter she wrote to Sinn Fein councillor Margaret
McClenaghan in June stating that police chiefs had argued against
the erection of heightened peaceline fencing to protect
nationalist homes.

Nationalist residents now believe that only legal action will
force the police to give way and allow increased peaceline
fencing to protect their homes.

"Our homes have been under constant attack for more than a year
and the police are saying that there is no need to increase the
fencing," said one resident who asked not to be named.

"If it takes legal action to highlight what is going on then so
be it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

>>>>>> Dubs urged to ignore bin charge threats

More and more Dublin residents are worried after receiving
warning letters from Dublin City Council over non-payment of the
bin charges. Sinn Fein Councillor Larry O'Toole, however, is
advising people not to be panicked into paying the charges.

"These letters are very threatening in nature," he told An
Phoblacht. "But the city council has no right to be intimidating
people into paying this double taxation. It's a public service
that people should not have to pay for."

The charges are being put to the vote at the council's estimate
meeting once again in either November or December. Last year,
Sinn Fein was the only party that wholeheartedly supported a 'no'
to the charges. The Green Party backed the charges, and three of
Labour's 12-strong contingent of councillors supported them.
These three councillors went against the party whip and were
expelled from the council group, but not the party, although
subsequently one, Anthony Creevy, switched allegiances to Fianna
Fail.

Larry O'Toole hopes that this time round the decision on the
charges can be reversed.

"The four Sinn Fein councillors will be voting against the
charges, and we hope that by the time it comes to the vote that
the Green Party will be supporting a 'no' vote," he says. "If we
have the full support of Labour and backing from some of the
other councillors, the vote may be won."

The Sinn Fein councillors are advising constituents in areas
where councillors support the charges to begin ringing and
writing to them to voice their concern at how they will be voting
at the estimates meeting.

"People who do not want to pay these charges should find out if
their local representative is for or against the charges and act
accordingly," Larry says. "This decision will ultimately be in
the hands of the 52 councillors. In the meantime, people should
be enquiring as to whether they are entitled to a waiver for the
charge. I have provided many pensioners in my own area with
waiver forms, and they have discovered that they are exempt from
paying. There are a number of criteria for people to be excused
from paying. However, this does not make it acceptable to charge
the rest.

"The bin charges are not as environmentally friendly as the
council makes out. Looking after the environment is about waste
reduction, recycling, and putting an emphasis on the
manufacturer's responsibility to cut down on packaging, not
charging people to collect their bins."

"As far as I'm concerned, this is the first step from the council
towards privatisation of the bin service, which would be
detrimental for everyone. If this happened, in all likelihood the
service would deteriorate, with profit coming before
communities."

The message from the Sinn Fein councillors is that they won't be
backing down on their stand against the charges.