Question From Lena: Do you think tougher sentences...adopting a zero tolerance approach...would make a difference?

Constable Norman Gibson: A difficult one for a police officer to answer because our function is to gather evidence and to bring it before a court. We have no input to the sentencing of those convicted before the court and for me to express a view on that is to usurpe the authority of the court so I am not in a position to answer that. It's not within my remit.

Question From Stephen: How would you rate CCTV as a way of reducing crime?

Constable Norman Gibson: I think CCTV is simply one of the tools that is available to address crime but a CCTV camera does not prevent a crime, simply records what has happened. One of the important issues with CCTV is who monitors the images and who responds to them. For example in Belfast city centre the CCTV system is a very effective tool enabling the controllers to monitor amongst other things high risk deliveries without a police officer having to stand at the scene. In the event of an incident the controller can quickly task police. On the other hand CCTV system in a shop were the images are not monitored and are simply recorded the tape will provide evidence later of what happened, but are not in a position to prevent the crime at the time.

Question From Joe: Oliver Brannigan, Northern Ireland's chief executive of the probation service, said earlier today that it was vital to get the community involved. Apart from supporting the police...what can the community do?

Constable Norman Gibson: I think the community will have an increasing responsibility for providing the basic levels of their own prevention. The types of crime that are most amenable to simple prevention are those which are committed by the opportunist criminal. This means that everyone can significently reduce their risk by taking simple effective crime prevention measures. This maybe nothing more complicated than making sure doors and windows are locked before you leave the house and by making sure keys are removed from the ignition and locking the car.

Question from Limavady: How do we get CCTV in our town, do the police put it in?

Constable Norman Gibson: No, the police don't put it in. Many of the CCTV systems which have been installed throughout the Province are local Council led and driven. Police often have an input in the design of the system but the police management of the system is the esception.

Question From Kerry: My house was once broken into when I was on my own and upstairs sleeping. I just pretended I was alseep. Was that the right thing to do?

Constable Norman Gibson: Yes, I'll elaborate on that. There is never an occasion that you should put yourself at risk. All of your property is replaceable, you are not. This ethos extends over most if not all crime prevention. It is more important that the individual is protected than their property.

Question From Arnold: Why does the PSNI not publish crime statistics ON THE INTERNET for each council area - surely this would be the best way for all of us to get a true picture of the crime situation in our area?

Constable Norman Gibson: I think we will get to that stage. Please remember that one of the justifable criticisms that was levelled at us as an organisation was our poor IT standard. This is being actively addressed and I hope that you will see much more information being made available routinely in many formats. It is also important to understand that it was only whenever the police service moved to a district command unit format that it was possible to collate this information for each individual council area.

Question From Niamh: How far can people go in protecting their property...you hear all these horror stories of home owners actually being charged with assault and worse?

Constable Norman Gibson: The term that the law uses is 'reasonable force'. Whenever I am teaching shopowners and staff about reasonable force I would explain that the law would look at the circumstances and the level of injuries. There is a need to recognise the difference between lawful force and assault. Whenever a police officer uses reasonable force to restrain someone that is not an assault, it's reasonable force. If it goes beyond the boundries of reasonable force it can become an assault. There is also the question of intent. If someone comes into your house and you lift what is refered to as a weapon of convenience (something close at hand) and they get seriously injured and your intent was simply to protect yourself I believe the law will support you.

However if you announce in advance that the next person that breaks into your house you're going to assault them or seriously injure them, I do not believe the law will support you because you are not looking at the circumstances and your intent is to seriously injure.

Question From Sharon: How can crime be cracked when the police force is so under-manned and the current 50:50 recruitment policy is yielding ever dwindling numbers of new recruits?

Constable Norman Gibson: I think what I can say there is that I disagree with the question because I teach each week in the Foundation Faculty on my own subject of Crime Prevention and the classes are all full and the young (and not so young) people coming in to the Police Service are the same enthusiastic, nervous, excited individuals that I believe I was more years ago than I care to remember.

However I do accept that we have a problem at the present time with a shortage of operational police officers but I think you will see this situation starting to improve and these wonderful new recruits commence the police service.

Question From Limavady: Is there anywhere where you can get crime information in our areas, like where is it safe to go at night?

Constable Norman Gibson: I think on that one I'm stumped. Most of our data is historical and we are not in a position to provide that type of live information. I think that will come down to the individuals own knowledge of the area and taking sensible advice from friends about the place you're going.
visitor I had my mobile phone stolen in a bar. There should be somewhere safe in bars to put items like phones & purses, like a number of small security boxes where you get a key for a small charge. I have loads of friends who have had stuff stolen in bars.

I am a little concerned with securing your property in a locker to which others had previous use of the key and where someone could remove your property quite easily. The general advice in relation to personal property is that you keep it on your person and close to you. I accept that this can be difficult with hand baggage and can be difficult were the venue is very warm and coats are removed
but if you are asking me for specific advice I would suggest that the party takes turns in monitoring all your property much in the same way as you would do with the drinks that's on the table to ensure that it's not interfered with.

Question From Ciaran: Do you think neighbourhood alert schemes are effective?

Constable Norman Gibson: In Northern Ireland we have only ever used the 'good neighbour' scheme, we have never extended to neighbourhood watch because of the concerns that some sections of the community have in having direct contact with the police. The Good Neighbour scheme is neighbourhood watch without the police liason.

In moving on to properly your question I have serious reservations about neighbourhood watch schemes because the areas that have them can be argued to be low crime cohesive communities that may not require them anyway, but the areas that need them are vunerable communities without the necessary leadership to make them effective and it would be reasonable to say that those that need them don't have them and those that have them don't need them.

Question From Karen: How can the elderly best protect themselves especially in isolated areas?

Constable Norman Gibson: This question could easily fill the remaining time and is an area that I have specific knowledge of. One of the most important messages that I would like to see coming from today is the understanding of the concept of risk the older people in the community are those who are least at risk of crime, but they are those who are most worried about crime.

Young people particularly those in the 16-25 yr age group are much more at risk but do not see themselves as being at risk. This means that the current media coverage of crime against the elderly is feeding the fear of older people to the extent that the fear of crime amongst the elderly has become a greater problem that the crime itself.

Question From Bev: How much do you think drinking contributes to crime?

Constable Norman Gibson: Drink can contribute signifcantly to certain types of crime. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and reduces your ability to properly assess the impact of your actions. This means that alcohol is a major contributary factor in assaults. This is so both from the assailant and the victim. The assailant does not understand or does not care about the effect of their actions.

The victim is less able to perceive their true level of risk.

Question-From Laura: What's being done to catch the vandals who have destroyed the new bus shelters along the Ormeau Road in Belfast?

Constable Norman Gibson: That question is a specific operational issue for policing in South Belfast and I have no knowledge of the incidents or methods put in place to address them. I would suggest that that question should be directed to the DCU commander in Musgrave Street Police Station.

Question From Anna: Why aren't the victims notified when suspects are arrested?

Constable Norman Gibson: We take the rights of the victims very seriously and whilst it is impossible for me to say that every victim is properly informed of the progress of the investigation, it is our policy that they should be informed and I would hope that the victims are notified when suspects are arrested.

Question From Alan: What's the best way to protect your credit card...apart from never using it?

Constable Norman Gibson: Credit card crime is currently a very serious volume crime. The next generation of credit cards (smart cards) will provide a much higher level of protection. For the present the advice is similiar to that which has been offered to those in licenced premises to keep their card close to them. The current voluntary scheme 'thumbs up' which asks card or cheque users to put their thumb print on the back of the card or cheque is designed to try and protect your card after it has been stolen.

Question From Diane: How much are parents to blame for young offenders or is that just too simplistic?

Constable Norman Gibson: Diane you certainly kept the best to last! And if I may I will take a personal view on this last question. I believe that parents do have a responsibility for instilling responsibility into their children but even after I have taken that view I have seen young people who have been taught the difference between right and wrong becoming involved in crime. There are strong arguments for both nature and nurture and when I balance them the scales fall on the side of nurture.


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