Gun attack on Co Derry home last October left woman fightig for her life i hospital
Superintendent Ian Magee said he has requested the team to tackle the issue and reduce the level of shootings.
Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme, he said it was an “extremely worrying development”, noting that two shootings have already taken place this year.
It was also revealed that no shootings were recorded in the area during 2019.
“The majority of shootings have taken place in the Coleraine area, however, we have [also seen shootings] in Bushmills, Dungiven and Rasharkin, so it is right across the whole of the district,” he explained.
He revealed that teams were actively following loyalist paramilitaries and to a lesser degree republican groups, adding the issues underlining the problem were control of communities, money and intimidation.
“I’m committed to protect the community from all types of violence.. what I need the community to do is set aside any assumptions that you might have around the people are carrying out the attacks, but also the victims of these shootings, and consider the people behind the guns,” he explained.
“Guns and bullets are unpredictable and all you need is one ricochet to hit someone in the vicinity.”
He acknowledged that people will be afraid to speak out against the perpetrators, but urged communities to come forward and notify the police.
Former Justice Minister and Independent MLA Claire Sugden described the situation as “very disturbing”, adding those involved were “thugs”.
“Ultimately this is an issue that is problem right across Northern Ireland and it is a paramilitary scourge we have been unable to address. In most cases it is criminal activity, it’s control, it’s drugs, it’s intimidation,” she told the programme.
“Communities are being kept down by this type of behaviour and I think the Executive needs to try to do more to give them confidence and support, so this type of activity can no longer take place.”
She added in the absence of Stormont during the impasse a 2016 action plan had failed to materialise which subsequently had helped to created a vacuum which had been filled by paramilitarism.
Two of the UDA suspects hunted over the murder bid of a Co Derry grandmother last October
“It’s sad that up to this point there hasn’t been any, but that’s perhaps because there hasn’t been enough information, and we need people to come forward if they have any.
“Police, in conversations with them locally, are doing what they can to eradicate them, but it also requires people to come forward if they know anything.”
She accepted this was easier said than done, adding: “People are scared, they are intimidated, it’s the nature of these gangs and what they do… but again what we have to do is say to the government ‘you need to give back confidence back to these communities’.”
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