Justice Ministers and law enforcement agencies north and south
have come together in Belfast at the annual cross-border
conference.
A commitment to continue building on existing cross border
partnership arrangements to tackle crime and prevent harm has
been made as the conference gets underway, in what is its first
visit to Belfast.
Justice Ministers MLA and Jim O'Callaghan TD
alongside Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton and Commissioner
Drew Harris highlighted how a collaborative and joint approach is
thwarting organised crime gangs.
Issues on the agenda include drugs, child criminal exploitation,
paramilitaries and cybercrime.
Minister Long said: “Tackling harms caused by organised
crime is one of my top priorities and I am encouraged by the
effective work being done to address these issues on both sides
of the border. A shared and cross-border focus on the harms that
our communities suffer at the hands of organised crime gangs is
vital.
“Organised criminals are agile and innovative. They find
new ways of exploiting people's vulnerabilities for their own
gain, and in turn, we must adapt in our collective response and
ensure their actions will not go unchallenged. We all
recognise the inextricable link between organised criminality and
the particular issue of paramilitary harm that we experience here
in Northern Ireland. Such an approach which focuses on harm,
rather than its origin, will better place us to address these
issues.”
Minister O'Callaghan: “Targeting the work of organised crime
groups, who inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families
and communities, is a top priority for me as Minister for
Justice. Those involved in organised criminality need to know
that they will not be allowed to enjoy the profits of their
illegal activity and, equally, I want communities to know that
this will not be tolerated by society.
“The strong levels of co-operation that exist between the
criminal justice agencies on this island is something to be proud
of. We've seen examples recently where successful cross border
co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI has led to
arrests in murder cases and to a seizure of a large amount of
drugs only in the last week. That collaboration at all levels
should send a very clear message to organised criminals that the
border is not something that can be exploited for criminal gain.”
The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Deputy Chief Constable
Bobby Singleton said: “The Cross-Border Conference on Serious and
Organised Crime is a testament to the ongoing joint commitment of
our officers and colleagues in An Garda Síochána. Together we
work with, and rely upon the support of, many partner agencies to
tackle crime.
“It's imperative that we come together to share skills,
knowledge and expertise with a focus on keeping people on both
sides of the border as safe as we possibly can. We will
continue our work to disrupt organised crime groups who continue
to try and exploit the border for their own financial gain.
“This conference affords us a vital opportunity to come
together in an ever-changing environment to discuss new and often
innovative ways to tackle cross-border crime.”
Speaking at the Cross Border Conference Commissioner Drew Harris,
An Garda Síochána said: “The Cross Border Conference provides a
valuable opportunity for both police services, Government
departments and partner agencies to meet with one another and
discuss the common issues we face in tackling cross-border crime.
“As has been highlighted on many occasions, we do know that crime
knows no borders, and there are criminal networks who will seek
to exploit borders to commit serious crime and devastate our
communities. And so, it takes a network to defeat a
network. I firmly believe by working in partnership we can indeed
disrupt and dismantle those networks who seek to take advantage
of our communities by flouting the law.”
“In building on our partnerships and sharing in the successes and
the experiences of others - particularly at events like today's
conference - we strengthen our capabilities. By working side
by side, we can do more to tackle criminal networks who seek to
exploit the border region, and deliver on our mission of keeping
people safe.”
The conference theme is ‘Defeating serious and organised crime
through innovation and collaboration' and aims to build on
existing relations between law agencies North and South of the
border in the fight against organised crime.
Notes to editors:
This work is underpinned by the Cross Border Policing Strategy
2025-27 which can be found here: Cross Border Policing Strategy
2025 - 2027 (https://www.psni.police.uk/sites/default/files/2024-12/Cross
Border Policing Strategy 2025-2027.pdf). One of the key
priority areas in the Strategy is tackling crime and preventing
harm.
