LISTEN: Former Justice Minister calls for investment in deprived areas to tackle rising gun crime

by Q Radio News

A former Justice Minister at Stormont has said more investment is needed in deprived areas of Northern Ireland, with more support for police to tackle rising gun crime, particularly in East Derry/Londonderry. 

The North Coast region recorded 14 gun attacks in 2020, only second behind Belfast which recorded 16. 

That is an increase from zero incidents in 2019. 

Most attacks have occurred in Coleriaine but others have been recorded in the likes of Bushmills, Stranocum, Rasharkin and Dungiven.

However, in January 2021 alone two gun attacks took place. 

A 61-year-old woman was left with head injuries after shots were fired at her home in Coleraine in October 2020

Independent MLA and former Justice Minister Claire Sugden said the PSNI needs more support if rising gun crime and criminal gangs are to be combatted. 

Ms Sugden added, the pepretrator of these attacks on the North Coast are nothing more than "criminal gangs and thugs" using coercive control over deprived communities that did not want them.

“The statistics are truly shocking. These gangs have nothing to offer the communities they operate in.

"They peddle in violence, intimidation, drugs and misery. Many try to use a façade of being a community-minded or political organisation, but that is all it is – a façade.

“Police resources are stretched at the moment, in part due to the COVID situation.

"It may be the case that these gangs are exploiting this situation for their own benefit, but this just compounds the problems of the communities they operate in.

"If police are responding to attacks and gun violence they naturally have less time and fewer resources to apply to the issues of normal people.

“But of course these groups don’t care about the communities they are active in.

"They use intimidation, drug dealing, racketeering and money laundering to oppress the communities they claim to represent. People are scared and often afraid to speak out against these gangs.

"This makes the job of the police even harder, because unless there is evidence, both physical and from witness statements, the police cannot charge those responsible.”

Independent MLA Claire Sugden

The former Justice Minister said the police are taking the situation seriously, with the Superintendent of Causeway Coast and Glens calling on the Paramilitary Crime Taskforce to help counter the violence. 

Ms Sugden said there needs to be more help coming from Stormont.

"We need to create a situation where the police are properly supported by the Executive and where these communities are not deprived and vulnerable, but instead are able to rely on government services and support in order to themselves thrive,” Ms Sugden continued.

“The Paramilitary Action Plan was formed in 2016 with a budget of around £25m for five years.

"The fact that the Executive did not sit for three years means we have seen time wasted when it was vital to get on top of this issue and make it difficult for these groups to operate.

“I have urged all Executive ministers to create their Programme for Government, which is necessary for initiatives like the Action Plan to be put into operation. So much time was wasted – time when so much could have been done to prevent the situation we now face.”