Omagh

WELCOME and INTRODUCTION

Omagh District Policing Partnership (DPP) is a partnership between Omagh District Council and representatives of the local community, which was established on 4 March 2003 under the auspices of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000.  

The Partnership is made up of both members of the local community and locally elected political representatives who are elected to serve on Omagh District Council.  The partnership has a membership of 15, the size of which was determined by Omagh District Council.  As every DPP must have one more political representative on the partnership, Omagh DPP is made up of 8 councillors and 7 independent members, appointed from the local community.

Part 3, Section 16 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 details the functions of Omagh DPP:

• To provide views to the District Commander on the policing of the District,
• To monitor the performance of the police in delivering the local policing plan,
• To consult the public on the policing of the district,
• To obtain the co-operation of the public in preventing crime, and
• To act as a forum for discussion on matters affecting the policing of the district.

About the District of Omagh

Location

The District of Omagh covers an area of almost 113,000 hectares (440 square miles), making it the second largest district council area in Northern Ireland.  The district can lay claim to an unspoiled landscape as well as a rich historical heritage.  The town of Omagh is at the centre of the region with the rest of Omagh district primarily rural in character with its people living in scattered small towns and in dispersed rural communities.

       Click map for large view

Population

In 2001, 47,952 people lived in the Omagh District, 2.85% of the Northern Ireland population. There are 21 wards in the Omagh District Council area, ranging in size from 1,780 people living in the ward of Strule to 2,973 people living in the ward of Lisanelly.

In terms of community background, 69.8% of the people living in Omagh are Roman Catholic and 30.2% are non-Roman Catholic and in terms of gender, 50% of the population is female and 50% male.