Church leaders meet new Chief Constable

The outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly, Rev Dr Rob Craig, and the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Ken Good, were among the church leaders who met this afternoon with the new PSNI Chief Constable, George Hamilton, during his visit to the city.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Jul 2014, 10:00 BST
Rev Donald Kerr, Dr Donald Watts, Bishop Donal McKeown, Rev Dr Rob Craig, Bishop Ken Good and Rev Peter Murray, with PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton and PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin, Londonderrys Police Commander.Rev Donald Kerr, Dr Donald Watts, Bishop Donal McKeown, Rev Dr Rob Craig, Bishop Ken Good and Rev Peter Murray, with PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton and PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin, Londonderrys Police Commander.
Rev Donald Kerr, Dr Donald Watts, Bishop Donal McKeown, Rev Dr Rob Craig, Bishop Ken Good and Rev Peter Murray, with PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton and PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin, Londonderrys Police Commander.

The meeting was held in the Strand Road PSNI station in Londonderry.

Bishop Good represented the Church of Ireland, newly installed Bishop Donal McKeown attended representing the Roman Catholic faith, Rev Peter Murray attended as President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, while Rev Dr Craig represented the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Also in attendance was Rev Dr Donald Watts, President of the Irish Council of Churches and Rev Donald Kerr, the Secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland.

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“Ahead of the annual Twelfth of July parades, the leaders wanted to assure the Chief Constable of their support at what is a demanding time of the year for the top policing role,” a PSNI spokespersona said.

“The meeting was an opportunity for the leaders to further affirm their joint support of the PSNI as they seek to protect the community all year round.

“The Church leaders seek to encourage a peaceful and respectful summer, urging those participating in parades and protests to obey the law, respect the PSNI officers as they carry out their duties, and avoid any behaviour which is not for the overall good of society. They encourage all those who are committed to seeking better relations at a local level,” the PSNI spokesperson said.

Related topics:PSNIDerry