The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's cross-community party

David Ford

'Unionists borrow Sinn Fein crib sheet after PSNI raid'

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 19th Oct 2004

EAST Belfast Councillor and Assembly member Naomi Long has congratulated the PSNI for an operation to crack down on counterfeiting in her constituency today.

Cllr Long also criticised unionist politicians for their comments about the Police operation, in which it was claimed there was an "exceptionally heavy police presence".

Cllr Long, who chairs East Belfast District Policing Partnership, stated:

"At a time when organised crime, particularly criminal enterprises run by paramilitaries, is causing such deep public concern, it is hard to see why unionist politicians are criticising the police for doing their job.

"I want to congratulate the police for their efforts to crack down on counterfeiting. It is no big secret that counterfeiting has been a useful means for paramilitaries to raise funds in the past, and even if this is 'just' a criminal enterprise, the police deserve to be praised, not pilloried.

"When I heard one unionist MLA complaining about the PSNI's handling of the operation on television earlier he sounded exactly like Sinn Féin politicians usually do when the police are doing their job.

"Rather than making pathetic excuses and giving off about the police, unionists should be demonstrating leadership and co-operating with them. If people have concerns about policing operations, the forum for this is the DPP or the Police Ombudsman's office."

Bookmark this story at: del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg FacebookFacebook redditreddit StumbleUponStumbleUpon
Print this news story.
Previous news story: Sectarian attack at skating rink 'disgraceful': Long (Mon 18th Oct 2004).
Next news story: Alliance to raise paramilitary child abuse with IMC (Thu 21st Oct 2004).

Related News Stories:

Wed 1st Oct 2008:

Fri 19th Sep 2008:

Thu 18th Sep 2008:

Fri 12th Sep 2008:

Thu 4th Sep 2008:

Tue 26th Aug 2008:

Wed 20th Aug 2008:

Wed 23rd Jul 2008:

Mon 30th Jun 2008:

Thu 5th Jun 2008:

Wed 4th Jun 2008:

Tue 3rd Jun 2008:

Mon 2nd Jun 2008:

Thu 10th Apr 2008:

Mon 10th Dec 2007:

Mon 22nd Oct 2007:

Thu 18th Oct 2007:

Fri 5th Oct 2007:

Wed 26th Sep 2007:

Wed 6th Jun 2007:

Wed 30th May 2007:

Tue 3rd Apr 2007:

Sun 11th Feb 2007:

Tue 30th Jan 2007:

Mon 29th Jan 2007:

Fri 12th Jan 2007:

Wed 29th Nov 2006:

Tue 28th Nov 2006:

Thu 12th Oct 2006:

Thu 28th Sep 2006:

Fri 15th Sep 2006:

Fri 8th Sep 2006:

Thu 3rd Aug 2006:

Mon 17th Jul 2006:

Mon 10th Jul 2006:

Wed 5th Jul 2006:

Tue 20th Jun 2006:

Wed 24th Aug 2005:

Wed 10th Aug 2005:

Fri 29th Jul 2005:

Fri 17th Jun 2005:

Mon 14th Mar 2005:

Fri 11th Feb 2005:

Wed 15th Dec 2004:

Mon 26th Jan 2004:

Thu 15th Jan 2004:

Wed 17th Dec 2003:

Mon 24th Nov 2003:

Mon 22nd Sep 2003:

Tue 1st Apr 2003:

Fri 6th Nov 1998:

Thu 11th Dec 1997:

Thu 4th Dec 1997:

Printed and hosted by Prater Raines Ltd, 82b Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BX.
Published and promoted by The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, 88 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HE.
The views expressed are those of the party, not of the service provider.