BYAILEEN MURPHY

The people of Kesh turned out in force

on Monday night to demand they be allowed to keep a police base in their village.

This was the first of a series of public meetings which are running all this week to deal with Chief Superintendent Michael Skuce's proposals to close four police stations in Fermanagh. The Kesh meeting was on Monday when close to 100 people turned out to object to the proposal.

Mr Skuce explained that the current Kesh station, which is highly fortified, is simply too large for purpose, and too expensive to maintain. As a result, he is recommending policing the area from the smaller station in Irvinestown. This service would in turn be supported by the Mobile Police Station which travels around the County.

Chief Inspector Alywin Barton explained the mobile station was invaluable to communities: "This facility offers a good alternative for delivering a valid, viable service and is proving its' worth so far," he said.

However, the crowd were not convinced.

Mervyn Duncan accused the PSNI of 'discriminating' against the people of Kesh: "During the Troubles, Irvinestown wanted the fortified station, but Kesh got it and now its' no longer sexy enough for the police.

"You don't like Kesh because it is fortified and it reminds you of the past. We stood shoulder to shoulder with you in the past, now you are walking away. I ran a business in front of the old police station and, when the changes were being made I was told I wasn't even entitled to daylight."

Responding, Chief Superintendent Skuce told him: "These were genuine decisions made at the time for a genuine need. We have to look at the next 10 years and look at the service we can provide from Irvinestown to the people in Kesh. Kesh is a massive station and my needs are very small, Irvinestown is the right site for our needs."

Dr Sharon Loane, Chairperson of Kesh Development Committee, urged the PSNI to retain the current station and look at ways other community groups and organisations could make use of the building, while still retaining part of it for the police.

"As a community", she said, "we would like to use that facility. And I will bend over backwards and pull out my eyeballs to keep police here."

She also raised the point that Kesh was close to an 'international frontier', and removing the police station from the village would open up the way for border criminals and turn Kesh into a 'rat run' for criminals.

"I am not going home reassured, but alarmed," Dr Loane continued. "Do we not deserve to be safe? I don't care what the facility looks like, we just need a facility here."

This was applauded from the floor, with one gentleman adding: "There are a lot of empty properties here. All it would take is a terrace house with a blue lamp outside and a sign saying, 'Police'. That would mean so much and would reassure so many people."

But, Mr Skuce felt it would be difficult to maintain co-operation between all the groups who would want to use the base.

A member of the public pointed out that while the number of crimes committed in the area might not be very large, the 'fear of crime' was very real in the area and was further aggravated when people see police leaving the village.

Gary Wilson said the low crime figures for the area was proof the police presence in the village was working. He added: "I would dread to see those figures in 10 years time if the border is pulled back further to Irvinestown. Is Kesh not a more valuable site for police? We have worked with you, and worked for you, now we are being deserted. I think it is a disgrace."

Chief Superintendent Skuce assured him: "This is not easy for us. Things have moved on considerably, I never thought we would be in this situation, but I am so glad we are."

He stated that in other areas where police stations had closed, there had not been a massive increase in crime levels.

Fermanagh Councillor Bert Johnston, DUP, who chairs the Fermanagh District Policing Partnership, opted for a compromise.

He suggested that, if the decision (to close) was simply down to economics, then why not look at retaining police in the village but get them some smaller accommodation: "Downsizing is the modern way, why not do that?," he urged.

Chief Superintendent Skuce said this was a very valid comment and he would take it seriously on board.

However, he was put under pressure to answer if the decision about the future of Kesh station had already been made. Not so, he replied, adding that at the minute this was his recommendations and that he was in Kesh to listen to the people of Kesh before making his final presentation to the District Policing Partnership in June this year.

Assembly member, Tom Elliott appealed to the people not to make this an issue of Kesh versus Irvinestown.

"We need a station in both", he stated. "It is a long distance from Enniskillen to Kesh, it's a long way from Irvinestown to Belleek, and it's a long way from Belleek to Omagh, and there will be no police presence in this whole area."

He told Mr Skuce: "We have heard it all before about Service Level Agreements which weren't delivered on, and I have no confidence in you delivering on what you say. Belleek is on the cards for closure as well, so there will be nothing the whole way round the Lough shore from Irvinestown back up to Enniskillen."

Chief Superintendent Skuce agreed this was not about Irvinestown against Kesh, he said: "This is a very big area to police and we are trying to provide the best service with the resources I have got." He explained to keep Kesh station open for the next 10 years would cost nearly £2 million.

In a dramatic turn of events, the villagers then actually urged the police to let them put a package together to see if they could buy the site, and then leave the police a section of the building to allow them to remain in the village.

Chief Superintendent Skuce urged them to put this proposal in writing and submit it to him for consideration.

Mr Duncan claimed Kesh was the exact opposite of Carrickmore, and said both villages had suffered discrimination for their views.

"We are being discriminated against because we are a unionist community. In the past, it was great for police to come to Kesh and now we are being discriminated against because we have a big police station."

Billy Gilmore told Chief Superintendent Skuce: "The terrorists could not do over the last 30 years what you are trying to do.

"You are cleansing the West leaving us without security. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Concluding, Gary Wilson urged the police: "We appreciate you have to cut your cloth, but please cut it to the design and pattern of the people of Kesh.

"Don't close our station. We need a police presence here, please do not close our station."