EXCLUSIVE: STOP AND SEARCH DATA EXPOSED

The use of stop and search powers under terrorism legislation has been a serious bone of contention not just here but across the water and in other western nations given the infringement on human rights.

Here, individuals who may be involved in republican groupings but who have not been convicted of any crime have been pointing the finger at the PSNI alleging ‘political policing’ and ‘harassment’.

So, BtP went about looking into this – albeit with limited information.  We now have obtained a restricted PSNI briefing to the NI Policing Board on stop and searches, despite the PSNI seeking to ensure we didn’t use some of the information contained therein because ‘terrorists could identify where powers are being used most, and evade police’.  We believe its our duty to expose information in the public interest, and for the police and justice system to prove someone is guilty of a crime, so alas.

The information is a snapshot, ranging from the quarter April-June 2015, however, it is the last report on stop and searches given to the Policing Board.

During that period, under the range of legislative powers the police can use, 6,964 were stopped and searched – 40% of these were aged between 18-25.

The police have a range of powers they can use to stop and search an individual, though our report focusses on just two – the Terrorism Act and the Justice and Security Act.  Here’s what those laws give the police the power to do;

As you can see, there are an extensive number of powers available to the police.

Of the 6,964 stopped and searched by police officers, only 584, or 8.4% were arrested.  40.8% of these were in the South Policing District.  This is under all available powers.

37 people were stopped and searched under section 43 of the Terrorism Act.  Only 2 were subsequently arrested.

18 people were stopped and searched under section 43A of the same legislation, no arrests were made.

481 people were stopped under section 21 of the Justice and Security Act.  Just 2, or 0.4% of those stopped, were subsequently arrested.

1,087 were stopped under section 24 and section 22 of the Justice and Security Act – by far the widest used legislation.  2% of these were arrested.

As part of the powers as outlined above, vehicles and houses can be searched by police.  Here are the figures for that timeframe.

The information the PSNI didn’t want us to release was where the powers were used most, and the profile of those most likely to be stopped and searched.

The PSNI have broken the information in their report down by local government district, so here is a map of the current local government boundaries for information

From the information in the restricted document, we have been able to pinpoint where stop and searches are more prevalent, and event where you are more likely as a man and a woman, to be subject to stop and searches.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area

You are more likely to be stopped and searched in this Council area than in any others – and it boasts the highest stop and searches for both males and females in the period.  It is also the number one area for subsequent arrests.

Derry City and Strabane District Council

This Council area comes second, and it is also second most likely to stop all males and females throughout the region.  This is also the second most prevalent area for subsequent arrests.

The other three of the top five council areas where stop and search powers are used are as follows;

 

We will leave our readers to decipher the relevance of these council areas, and the specific areas of what is deemed to be dissident activity in each of these areas.

THE NEW NORTHERN IRELAND EXECUTIVE

Your new Executive has been agreed by the Assembly this afternoon:

First Minister: Arlene Foster

Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness

Minister for the Economy: Simon Hamilton

Minister of Finance: Mairtin O’Muilleoir

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: Michelle McIlveen

Minister for Communities: Paul Givan

Minister of Education: Peter Weir

Minister of Health: Michelle O’Neill

Minister of Infrastructure: Chris Hazzard

Minister of Justice: Claire Sugden

Junior Ministers: Alastair Ross and Megan Fearon

 

Committee Chairpersons and deputy Chairpersons

Justice: Paul Frew / Deputy: Pam Cameron

Economy: Conor Murphy / Deputy: Steve Aiken

Finance: Emma Pengelly / Claire Hanna

Executive: Mike Nesbitt / Deputy: Sandra Overend

Education: Barry McElduff / Deputy: Chris Lyttle

Health: Paula Bradley / Deputy: Gary Middleton

Communities: Colum Eastwood / Deputy: Michelle Gildernew

Infrastructure: William Humphrey / Deputy: William Irwin

Agriculture: Linda Dillon / Deputy: Declan Kearney

 

Standing Committee Chairpersons and deputy Chairpersons

Procedures: Gordon Lyons / Deputy: Edwin Poots

Standards and Privileges: Cathal Boylan / Deputy: Adrian McQuillan

Assembly and Executive Review Committee: Christopher Stalford / Deputy: Michaela Boyle

Public Accounts: Robin Swann / Deputy: Daniel McCrossan

Audit: Declan McAleer / Deputy: Trevor Lunn

 

 

 

NATIONALIST VOTING: WE REVEAL OUR SURVEY RESULTS

Before we start, we should be clear, this is not any kind of scientific survey and thousands of people have not responded.  We wanted to get an insight from Nationalist voters as to why, so the figures tell us, they are not voting.

We asked five anonymous questions:

1. Did you vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May?

2. If yes, who did you give your number one preference to?

3. If no, why not?

4. What issues are Nationalist parties/National candidates not fulfilling, in your opinion?

5. What could be done to persuade you to vote in the next Local Government/Assembly elections?

We got thirty responses – bearing in mind we shared this over our twitter and facebook profiles a few days after the election, this is not bad!  We advertised this specifically for Nationalists.

Here are our results

Did you vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May?

Oddly, the vast majority of our respondents did vote at the May 2016 Assembly elections.

If yes, who did you give your number one preference to?

Unsurprisingly, our respondents voted in the majority for Sinn Fein candidates, though then the results, from a small sample group as they are, are interesting.  Second to SF came the Green Party with 21.74%, followed in third by the SDLP on 17.39% and on exactly the same percentage, People Before Profit (why our graphic rounded this to 18% for SDLP we’ll never know).  Independent candidates were given first preference by 13.04% of our respondents, followed by Alliance on 4.35% – the Worker’s Party received no first preference votes from our respondents.

If no, why not?

The responses to question three were widely varying, with some food for thought for the future of Nationalist politics.

Some written answered referred to more than one issue, but it is clear that there is a range of issues on the Nationalist voters bases mind that are not being addressed satisfactorily.

Abortion, and the drive to make this more accessible by some quarters in the Nationalist political sphere was a major issue amongst our respondents.

The lack of progress with jobs or the economy also topped the list of reasons why some of our respondents wouldn’t vote.

Strangely, some other issues which might be embarrassing for some Nationalist political parties raised their head.  One respondent referred to the lack of ‘Unionist reciprocation’ when it came to initiatives in the peace process.  Another said they don’t ‘represent any of my interests’.

The pursual of integrated education was another issue why one of our respondents didn’t vote this May.  This was alongsided frustration with SF in particular in terms of addressing the problems in special education provision for young people.

The progression of a United Ireland came up once.

What issues are Nationalist parties/National candidates not fulfilling, in your opinion?

Question four is more generalised, and all but one of our respondents answered it, i.e those who did and did not vote.

Unsurprisingly, our respondents felt that the issue of the economy and jobs were not being addressed – 72.41% of them.

Infrastructure was next, with 58.62% of respondents indicating Nationalist politicians aren’t doing enough in terms of infrastructure.

The progression of a United Ireland came next, with 37.93% saying Nationalist politicians aren’t doing enough on this.

Oddly, in what is seen by many in the commentariat to be a largely Unionist issue, Nationalists feel their politicians aren’t addressing victims either – 20.69% of our respondents.  This may be some food for thought for some parties in particular if this was to be emulated in a larger survey.

We gave respondents the option to select one of those issues, and to input their own, and they sure did.

One respondent was very clear they felt that Nationalist politicians are addressing issues.

Two respondents felt abortion was not being addressed – one felt that the issue was being addressed too much, the other that it was not being addressed enough.

The other issues we expected to come up, did – Irish Language, Marching, Policing – but others did crop up.  Some respondents felt the disabled weren’t being adequately served, and another felt that politicians are ‘not speaking for the working person- more concerned about helping those on benefits.’

What could be done to persuade you to vote in the next Local Government/Assembly elections?

Of course this is the ‘big one’ that everyone wants to know.

The respondents are a progressive bunch, the majority of answers referred to ‘less tribalism’, ‘more policies, less personalities’, ‘end to the two-party system’.

One said if ‘Republican perfomance’ in councils, Leinster House and Stormont do not improve’, they will not vote at the next election.

The issue of the A5 came up a number of times, and Derry was specifically referred to in one response, in terms of delivery.

‘Stop obsessing about the border’ one respondent declared.

‘Reciprocation from Unionism’ was one which shocked us, but a fair point.

Two answers which we did not expect to see came up, and might give some in politics food for thought.

One respondent said that ‘More prominent Catholics in Unionism’ would make them, as a Nationalist, vote in the next election. Another referred to the need to ‘stop placating Unionism’.  Such is the broad nature of the opinions of some in the Nationalist community!

 

TRANSLINK FREE WIFI BESET BY COMPLAINTS

Commuters across NI will have used a Translink bus or train in recent years and will have been dazzled by the news that from 2012, ‘free wifi’ will have been available, first on NI Railway trains and Goldline buses, then Enterprise services.

It cost the taxpayer £700k to set up and £400k per year to run (source) the free wifi service.

Having been contacted by a number of readers about the appalling wifi service particularly on NI Railway services, which allowed users to log on, but provided little or no online service, or simply refused to allow users to connect, BtP undertook to investigate.

We asked Translink to give us the following information:

The number of complaints relating to onboard WiFi across all applicable vehicles since its installation

The cost any any repairs to vehicle on board WiFi broken down by number of vehicles since its installation

If a review of the current provider of onboard WiFi will be reviewed at the end of the contract, and the date when the contract ends.

Translink told us that the cost of repairs were included within the current contract and so they had no record of costs.  Luckily so.

Since installation in 2012, Goldline bus service users have lodged only twenty complaints about the wifi service on board – the highest, 11, lodged in 2014.

However, the situation on NI Railways services, including Enterprise, couldn’t be more different.  Users complained a staggering 566 times about the wifi service on board trains.

In line with the complaints lodged by bus users, 2014 was the highest year for complaints by train users – with almost three hundred complaints (283) lodged with Translink.

So, all of these complaints would surely prompt Translink to change contractors and get better value for money for taxpayers and service users who want a reliable wifi service, right?

No.  Translink tell us that they review the wifi contract quarterly, and this was recently renewed on 17th February 2016 – and will be again in September of this year.  They did not indicate that the contract provider had been changed despite the evident customer satisfaction problem.

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: 70,000 NIHE PROPERTIES HAVE ASBESTOS

As part of our ongoing investigations into the state of the Housing Executive, we decided to look at the state of the housing stock itself, which was, for the most part, built between the 1960’s and 1970’s throughout the region.

We asked the Housing Executive to outline how many properties have been identified as having rising damp, asbestos and structural problems.  All of which would surely cause great concern to residents.

A total of 786 properties have had a rising damp problem addressed, which has so far cost £371,342.98.  The highest number of these properties is unsurprisingly in West Belfast, at 110, with the East Belfast District Office area next with 69 properties suffering from damp which has been treated.  These have an accumulated cost of £68,381.49 and £31,309.93 to address.

The Belfast Region far outstrips any other for the number of properties suffering with rising damp and the cost to address it.  A total of 507 properties have been identified with the problem, and the cost to repair these is £291,140.44.

The Northern Region has had 113 properties identified and the cost to repair these stands at £22,602.20, whilst the Southern Region has 166 properties with rising damp, and a repair cost so far of £57,600.34

Whilst these figures may seem low in light of the age of some properties, we can reveal a more shocking statistic.  BtP can now tell you that almost 70,000 of the 98,000 Housing Executive properties show some form of asbestos.

69,747 properties across the region have been identified by the Housing Executive as having some form of deadly asbestos in them.

70,000 out of 98,000 properties have been identified as having asbestos, that’s

of all NIHE properties

1,397 properties have been treated since 2011 at a cost of £297,863.21.  The highest number of properties where asbestos has been treated is Coleraine, with 198 properties treated at a cost of £33,224, followed by South Belfast with 175 properties treated at a cost of £33,420.73

Again the wider Belfast Region tops the poll in terms of properties treated, with 622 at a cost of £149,642.82, followed by the Southern Region with 393 properties treated at a cost of £77,657.24 and the Northern Region with 382 properties at a cost of £70,563.15.

The fibres of asbestos have caused thousands of deaths either from lung cancer, Mesothelioma or asbestosis.

In terms of structural problems in the form of subsidence, roof problems and problems with non-standard housing such as aluminium bungalows, these are strangely confined to the wider Belfast area.

Avonmore Park in Lisburn had 13 properties with twisted roofs, fixed in June 2011 at a cost of £47k.

3 houses in Rathglynn, Antrim face possible demolition due to structural problems, and 1 property in Fairview, Newtownabbey, Ardcarn Drive in Belfast, Garnerville Road in Belfast and Vernon Street in Belfast also have structural problems mainly with subsidence.

A number of properties in the Lurgantarry Estate suffer from ‘Concrete Cancer’ that has yet to be addressed, and 291 properties in Ballysillan have damp issues with work underway at a cost of £290,453.58.

If put in the context of the current reform of the Executive, one must think what kind of Housing Association or private enterprise would take on Housing Executive stock – 70,000 of which have asbestos in them?

NI PRISONERS: ARE WE PAYING FOR THEIR DEGREE?

Undertaking education courses whilst in prison is a proven way of keeping prisoners engaged and in particular circumstances, limiting re-offending.

There has been a long history of prisoners, including many who have gone on to become elected representatives here, completing third level qualifications whilst behind bars.

So, in the interests of informing the public, we asked the NI Prison Service:

The number of prisoners who have (I) undertaken; and (ii) completed any (a) undergraduate; (b) postgraduate i.e. PgCert, PgDip, Masters; and (c) PhD qualifications whilst held at any prison site since 2010 where these courses have been publicly funded either in part or in full including with or without the use of student loans, broken down by year, qualification and funding pathway.

I would also request that the figures from the first question be broken down by the sentence being served by the prisoner either by crime committed, or by custody length.

The results were quite interesting.

A total of 46 prisoner undertook a third level qualification from 2010-2015, yet only 7 completed any of the third level qualifications we asked about.

With relation to funding, the Prison Service was clear:

In regards to the funding issue the vast majority of prisoners have been financially supported by the Open University (OU) which was available to anyone with no previous higher education qualification. Where a prisoner has a higher education qualification NIPS has, on occasion, provided financial support. In these circumstances the course has been identified as part of the individual’s specific need to assist in their rehabilitation process.

The funding of courses by student loans is not applicable in Northern Ireland, and NIPS is currently reviewing its policy in light of the withdrawal of OU financial support in 2015.

The Prison Service did not disclose what courses the did fund from the public purse.  Bearing in mind that a third level degree can cost up to £8,000 per year in some institutions, and postgraduate courses even more, it would be pertinent for the Prison Service to disclose that figure.

What is also interesting is who undertook the courses – i.e. lifers, those serving 20 years etc etc.

2010

Those who undertook the courses broke down as follows: 6 serving life, 1 awaiting trial, 1 time served, 1 serving 6 years, 1 serving 12 years, 1 serving 16 years.

2011

Those who undertook the courses broke down as follows: 4 serving life, 2 now time served, 1 serving 20 years, 1 serving 6 years, 1 awaiting trial.

2012

Those who undertook the courses broke down as follows: 6 serving life, 1 serving over 20 years, 1 awaiting trial, 1 serving 12 years.

2013

Those who undertook the courses broke down as follows: 7 serving life, 1 serving 20 years, 1 serving 6 years

2014

Those who undertook the courses broke down as follows: 6 serving life, 3 time served, 2 serving 11 years, 2 serving 20 years, 1 serving 12, 4 serving 10, 1 serving 16 years, 1 serving 17, 2 serving 6 and 1 serving 5.

2015

Those who undertook the courses broke down as follows: 5 serving life, 3 time served, 2 serving 11 years, 1 serving 20 years, 1 serving 12, 4 serving 10, 1 serving 6 years and 1 serving 5 years, 2 on remand.

The Open University, who funded many of the courses, states;

In 2012/13, The Open University awarded the following qualifications to students in prison:

• 4 postgraduate Masters degrees
• 54 undergraduate BA/BSc degrees
• over 100 higher education certificates and diplomas.

Considering the lower levels of entry qualifications and the personal challenges many prisoners face, this is an outstanding achievement.

NATIONALISTS! Why aren’t you voting?

Much has been made since the Assembly elections of the continually dropping Nationalist voter turnout.  We have put together a very short, anonymous survey so Nationalists can tell us why they simply aren’t voting, or are spoiling their votes.

Please take few minutes to have a look and complete it, democracy is there for us all to engage in!

Click here for the survey.

Thanks!

POST-PRIMARY SCHOOL BUDGETS DECIMATED

Education has been a key aspect of the lacklustre election campaign for the NI Assembly which takes place today, May 5th – so we wanted to look into what has been happening with school budgets across NI.

We were given reams and reams of data and whilst it took a few days to analyse these, we felt it only fitting to release it today.

Post-primary schools across NI have lost a mammoth £4,605,338 since last year.  This doesn’t take into account school closures or mergers such as the opening of St Ronan’s College in Lurgan, merging three schools.

The biggest drops in funding are in Holy Cross College which has lost 77 pupils and £417k, Lisneal College which has lost 86 pupils and £370k and Sacred Heart College Omagh which has lost 46 pupils and £228k.

The variations are reflective of per-capita spending which is different across much of the schools estate.

Derry has been particularly badly hit, with all post-primary schools except St Brigid’s Carnhill suffering a drop in funding from last year.  Oakgrove Integrated, which has the highest per-capita spend of any Derry post-primary at £4,740 lost over £210,000 from their budget compared to last year.

In total, when calculating the losses of the ten post-primary schools in the City, a massive £1,247,912 has been slashed from budgets.

For example, this is the budget outturn for 2015 and 2016 for those ten schools in the City;

Of course, there are winners and losers across the region, and other schools have gained money based on their per-capita headcount and transitional budgets.