Firearms have been discharged five times over the past 10 years in Northern Ireland
The board said that officers can lawfully discharge a firearm only when they believe it is absolutely necessary to do so in order to save life or prevent serious injury. All discharges of a firearm must be referred to the Police Ombudsman.
“The use of firearms has fluctuated over the course of the past 10 years,” the report says. “Firearms were drawn 364 times in 2012/13, compared to 440 times in 2021/22. Firearms have only been discharged five times over the past 10 years. The last incident involving firearms was an unintentional discharge in June 2022 and has been referred to the ombudsman.
The report also recommends that the PSNI should contract an independent research body to ascertain the effect of injuries to individuals hit by plastic bullets or stun grenades or bitten by police dogs. “The police have access to an extensive range of powers to support delivery of their duties,” policing board chair Deirdre Toner said. “It is therefore essential for confidence in the service that the public can be assured police powers are being used both legitimately and proportionately.”
PSNI deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton welcomed the reports, saying “human rights are central to everything we do as police officers and the oversight provided by the policing board is key to maintaining public confidence in policing”. – PA
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