Republicans call PSNI to account for CS Gas usage

Sinn Féin Councillor Conor Maskey and community representatives expressed grave concerns this week following revelations that in North Belfast the PSNI had resorted to using CS Spray 38 times from January to December last year.
The figures, which mean the incapacitant spray was used by officers in North Belfast on average three times a month last year, were released at this week's North Belfast sub-group DPP meeting.
There were 38 incidents involving CS spray in North Belfast last year and only half the amount of incidents in west Belfast.
However figures show there were more attacks on officers and police vehicles in west Belfast in the last financial year than there were in the north of the city.
There were 142 such attacks in west and 120 in north.
North Belfast Sinn Féin councillor Conor Maskey said he wanted a further breakdown of figures to ensure CS gas usage was on the downturn.
“We all want to see a marked reduction and I think that is something we should all be working towards.
“Given that the test to use CS gas is subjective I think that is another thing we need to look at and talk about.”
Set alongside the number of CS Spray incidents in west Belfast, DPP independent member and former Republican POW Gerry O’Reilly said he was extremely concerned by the high usage figure in North Belfast.
“Going by head of population, I am extremely concerned that there were 38 incidents of CS gas in the north of the city last year when there were only 19 in west, exactly half,” said O’Reilly.
“I would ask what merited this high usage and what is being done to avoid officers having to resort to using the spray.”