The PSNI Chief Constable has defended the police record on crime despite a strongly worded attack by Ian Paisley junior.
The two clashed yesterday at the first public meeting of the Policing Board since it was reconstituted last month.
The board, which holds Sir Hugh Orde and the police service to account, had been given crime statistics for the past 11 months. Reported crime rose 4 per cent to 112,000 but Northern Ireland had the lowest overall level of offending, said Mr Orde.
He explained the rise, arguing that they included 1,355 new offences which had not been counted in previous reports. Some 600 crimes alone were recorded following the protracted rioting after last September's Whiterock Orange parade in north and west Belfast.
Sir Hugh contrasted the low level of crime in Northern Ireland with comparable regions in Britain and told board members: "Northern Ireland is still a safe place to live."
However, Mr Paisley criticised the chief constable, accusing him of attempting to gloss over a deterioration in the level of crime.
"What I'm detecting today is a good deal of spin," he said. "These figures aren't good enough and the public doesn't believe they are good enough."
Pointing to a 160 per cent increase in domestic burglaries in the Castlereagh area of east Belfast and a 71 per cent increase in vehicle crime figures in Magherafelt, Co Derry, he said: "This is the first time in two to three years that crime statistics have done a U-turn. Instead of going down there's now an upward trend."
He asked Sir Hugh: "Have police taken their eye off the ball? Are they resting on their laurels? We can do better and we must do better."
Speaking afterwards, Sir Hugh countered Mr Paisley's criticisms saying crime figures were "more complicated than a silly soundbite". He said he was making Northern Ireland a "safer place".
Referring to public co-operation with the police in the fight against crime, he added: "We know that together we can be very effective, regardless of the odd throwaway comment from the odd politician." Mr Paisley accused Sir Hugh of talking "guff".
He also referred to the absence of two Ulster Unionist members of the board. The UUP has opposed the present reconstitution of the board and its members, Fred Cobain and Danny Kennedy have not attended meetings since the election of the chairman a month ago.
Mr Paisley pointed to the unionist majority on the board and cautioned: "If people want to absent themselves and fail the unionist community then that community will hold them to account. We will watch the situation."
A UUP spokesman said Northern Secretary Peter Hain had failed to explain to them why he had altered the composition of the board to put elected representatives in a minority. Until he did so, the party would not fully engage with the board.