This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8267556.stm
The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Baggott's first day as PSNI chief | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Matt Baggott is to take over as the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Tuesday. | Matt Baggott is to take over as the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on Tuesday. |
| The 50-year-old replaces Sir Hugh Orde and is the third leader of NI's rebranded police force. | The 50-year-old replaces Sir Hugh Orde and is the third leader of NI's rebranded police force. |
| The married father-of-three comes to the PSNI after seven years as chief constable of the Leicestershire Constabulary. | The married father-of-three comes to the PSNI after seven years as chief constable of the Leicestershire Constabulary. |
| One of his first engagements will be a meeting with the Policing Board Chairman Barry Gilligan. | One of his first engagements will be a meeting with the Policing Board Chairman Barry Gilligan. |
| Independent Policing Board member Trevor Ringland said he welcomed Mr Baggott's "fresh approach and focus on policing in the community". | |
| Speaking of the threat from dissident republicans, Mr Ringland said everyone needed to respond to it. | |
| "This is a challenge to police, but also to wider society," he said. | |
| "These are our police officers. There are people out there trying to kill our police officers, and we, as a society have to take that on board and give the police the necessary information to put these people behind bars." | |
| Jimmy Spratt, a DUP member of the Policing Board, said Mr Baggott's "in-tray was already packed with serious issues requiring urgent attention". | |
| He said the DUP would continue to question the new chief constable on the phasing out of the full-time reserve, the closure of police stations and the removal of personal protection weapons from former security force members. | |
| Operation Dissent | |
| Mr Baggott will also be meeting senior commanders of the force, which has 7,321 regular officers. | Mr Baggott will also be meeting senior commanders of the force, which has 7,321 regular officers. |
| He takes over at a time of shrinking police budgets and a surge in dissident republican activity. | He takes over at a time of shrinking police budgets and a surge in dissident republican activity. |
| Within the last month there has been the discovery of a 600lb bomb in a border area and civil disturbances in Lurgan. | Within the last month there has been the discovery of a 600lb bomb in a border area and civil disturbances in Lurgan. |
| His command team was so concerned at the prospect of a dissident attack to overshadow his arrival they launched an operation aimed at disrupting it. | His command team was so concerned at the prospect of a dissident attack to overshadow his arrival they launched an operation aimed at disrupting it. |
| Codenamed Operation Dissent, it saw an increase in vehicle checkpoints and high visibility patrols. | Codenamed Operation Dissent, it saw an increase in vehicle checkpoints and high visibility patrols. |
| The threat from dissident republicans while not in the same league as that once posed by the IRA is deadly. | The threat from dissident republicans while not in the same league as that once posed by the IRA is deadly. |
| Two soldiers and a police officer have been killed by dissidents in 2009. | Two soldiers and a police officer have been killed by dissidents in 2009. |
| The murders were condemned across the political spectrum, with the leadership of mainstream republicanism branding the dissidents "traitors". | The murders were condemned across the political spectrum, with the leadership of mainstream republicanism branding the dissidents "traitors". |