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Northern Ireland Environment Minister Alex Attwood has announced
a new innovative strategic partnership to tackle environmental
crime between the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)
and the PSNI.
Minister Attwood said - “This agreement will form a focused
collective response from PSNI and NIEA and will run in parallel
with the recently announced - Heritage Crime Multi Agency
Task Force.
“I am committed to enhancing the quality of life
for everyone in Northern Ireland and maintaining our natural
and built environments to their world-renowned standards.”
The project will be wide-ranging, involving investigations
of many types of environmental and heritage crime which can
include waste, wildlife, metal theft, heritage and habitat
destruction.
Continuing, the Minister added - “We have so many elements
to life here - our marvellous historical buildings, our breathtaking
scenery and our wonderful wildlife. We have to protect them
with the resources at our disposal and ensure those who threaten
all of this are pursued, including through the Courts.”
Alluding to the current economic situation, the Minister
concluded - “In the current economic climate, it makes practical
and financial sense that PSNI and the NIEA work together to
make best use of our skills and our intelligence to tackle
environmental offending.
“It is important to stress that work to tackle environmental
crime supports legitimate businesses to be able to compete
in a level playing field, so there are economic benefits in
this work. The harm caused by environmental and heritage crime
is widespread and dealing with it well brings nothing but
good to the communities of Northern Ireland.
"I recognise that government needs to lead from the
front on environmental crime. I plan to escalate the response
of government to this crime and look to the courts to escalate
the penalties they impose on offenders.”
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