Police did not have time to prevent INLA shots - watchdog

The police "did not have enough time" to stop republican paramilitaries from firing shots into the air in Londonderry three years ago, the Police Ombudsman has found.

Marie Anderson launched an investigation after the police was criticised for failing to intervene after masked men fired shots during an Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) commemoration in the Galliagh area of the city in August 2021.

The Police Ombudsman's report said, while police had "planned appropriately" for the event, "it was too late to mount an operation to intervene".

In response, the PSNI deputy chief constable Bobby Singleton said they acknowledged the findings of the report and accepted their recommendations.

Some unionist politicians previously criticised police for not intervening after masked men fired shots near a mural of INLA hunger striker Michael Devine.

At the time, the police defended their response to the event, stating that "a significant police operation" was in place.

The Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson was tasked to examine the PSNI's planning and response to the incident.

Speaking after the conclusion of the investigation, the office's chief executive, Hugh Hume, said it was clear that police "had used all information available to them while planning for the event".

"Unfortunately, that information was somewhat limited, and it was unclear exactly what would happen, what format it would take, and whether firearms would feature," he said.

"By the time it became apparent that firearms were likely to be used, police did not have enough time to task appropriately trained officers to intervene.

"Once shots had been fired..., the police commander at the scene determined that any attempt to send additional officers into an area where a commemoration was taking place and where possible gunshots had been fired was likely to put officers at risk and create a threat to the lives of members of the public.

"Instead, he ordered additional steps to assist in gathering evidence about the event. A search of the scene was also later carried out, but no bullet casings were recovered."

Although the Police Ombudsman's investigation found no evidence of police misconduct, it did result in a number of policy recommendations being made to the PSNI.

Det Ch Con Bobby Singleton said operations of this type are "amongst the most complex and dynamic" the police have to contend with.

"They often place our commanders in circumstances where they have to make significant decisions on the safety of the public and our officers with much less information than they would like," Mr Singleton said.

"The ombudsman's recommendations are useful organisational learning points which we have already incorporated into the planning and operational response to such events helping us prevent any recurrence.

"We remain committed to learning, listening and continuously improving our organisational response and in that spirit will further reflect upon the findings of the ombudsman's full investigation to identify if there are any other opportunities to share feedback and good practice."