Sinn Féin Names Nominees For Northern Policing Board

Sinn Féin Policing Board Nominees Martina Anderson (left) and Alex Maskey (right), with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and TD Martin Ferris, MEP Mary Lou McDonald, during their recent Ard Chomhairle meeting, to talk about policing in The North (Photocall)
Former Prisoner Martina Anderson Among Those Nominated
A former Republican prisoner, who was held for more than 10 years in British prisons, is one of Sinn Féin's three nominees to the newly-reconstituted Policing Board in the North.
Martina Anderson, who was convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions in the United Kingdom in 1986 and held for thirteen years, was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Elected as an MLA for Foyle, she has spent the last year heading Sinn Féin's outreach programme to unionists.
She is joined by party policing spokesman Alex Maskey and North Antrim MLA Daithi McKay on the Policing Board, which will be set up after the Northern Assembly is restored on May 8th.
After her nomination, Anderson told reporters that she would "be going in to evaluate the performance of the PSNI and I will be going in there to hold them to account.
"I am a republican, I am a proud republican. Like many thousands of people out there I have been in prison, as have many thousands of others. At this moment in time it is important that we win the peace."
Speaking at Stormont on Monday, Sinn Féin's policing spokesman Alex Maskey said the party would play "a constructive role", but would not "rubber stamp PSNI policy and actions" instead providing a voice for communities on the Board.
"The Sinn Fein members on the Policing Board will provide the voice for communities who have in the past experienced only bad policing," he said.
"We want to play a constructive role on the board but we will not shy away from challenging, or criticising, or questioning policing decisions and policy when the need arises."
"The prize of a truly accountable and representative policing service which serves the entire community is I believe achievable and I believe that our contribution on the Policing Board will be key to achieving this goal," he concluded.
The nominations follow last week's meeting between Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and the Desmond Rea, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
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