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Baggott's first day as PSNI chief Baggott to 'take police forward'
(about 1 hour later)
Matt Baggott has taken over as the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Matt Baggott has called his new role as the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland as his "greatest professional privilege".
The 50-year-old replaced Sir Hugh Orde and is the third leader of NI's rebranded police force.The 50-year-old replaced Sir Hugh Orde and is the third leader of NI's rebranded police force.
At a press conference, along with Policing Board Chairman Barry Gilligan, Mr Baggott said he was here "to take policing forward into the future".
He added he would "deliver an impartial, personal policing service".
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 was a meeting with the Policing Board Chairman Barry Gilligan. Mr Baggott takes over at a time of shrinking police budgets and a surge in dissident republican activity.
Independent Policing Board member Trevor Ringland said he welcomed Mr Baggott's "fresh approach and focus on policing in the community". When asked about recent discussions around the PSNI budget Mr Baggott said it was his job get the "best use out of the resources we have".
Speaking of the threat from dissident republicans, Mr Ringland said everyone needed to respond to it. I don't think neighbourhood policing should be judged by a tragedy Matt BaggottPSNI chief constable
"This is a challenge to police, but also to wider society," he said. "I've come here with a record of challenging bureaucracy, challenging processes. I need to free people up to improve that policing presence," 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." "This is not something I'm starting. This is work that has been ongoing for a long time, there is an awful lot of good people doing very good work in neighbourhoods at the moment."
Jimmy Spratt, a DUP member of the Policing Board, said Mr Baggott's "in-tray was already packed with serious issues requiring urgent attention". Mr Baggot was also asked for his reaction to the death of Fiona Pilkington and her teenage disabled daughter in 2007.
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. Last week an inquest in Leicestershire heard Ms Pilkington killed herself and her daughter in a burning car following ongoing intimidation from a gang of youths.
SDLP Policing Board member Alex Attwood said Mr Baggott would need "to hit the ground running". She had contacted police more than 30 times about abuse claims, the last report on the day she died.
"The new chief constable faces a range of immediate challenges," he said. "It would be wrong to judge neighbourhood policing, or the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing in Leicester by one tragedy," said Chief Constable Baggott.
"People here can't get their heads around 7,500 police officers, spending 60% of their time on filling out forms, less than half of whom are on the streets. The chief constable must fix this." "There has been some enormous progress made over the last few years in delivering very consistent promises, a good street presence and dealing with anti-social behaviour and I don't think neighbourhood policing should be judged by a tragedy."
Operation Dissent Operation Descent
Mr Baggott will also be meeting senior commanders of the force, which has 7,321 regular officers. The threat from dissident republicans in the run up to Mr Baggott's appointment led to a police operation.
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. Operation Descent has seen 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".