Gerry Adams told the audience at Fountain Street Community Centre in Strabane that he was hopeful that the much anticipated transfer of powers would go ahead in May.

Despite a promise to remain committed to policing by the leadership panel, which consisted of Gerry Adams, Barbara De Brún, Pearse Doherty, Gerry Kelly, Pat Doherty, Claire McGill, Barry McElduff, Martina Anderson, Jackie McMullan and Conor Heany, they faced tough questioning about the lack of support at a local level in Strabane for the District Policing Partnership.

Speaking out at the meeting Aodhán Harkin, Secretary of Strabane Sigersons GAA club, asked the panel why the national party's support for policing had not filtered through to local Sinn Fein members who had failed to take up all of their allocated seats on the policing board.

"It seems that the local Sinn Fein members have not yet made up their minds about policing...Why did we allow these posts to go?" he said.

However, not everyone at the meeting echoed Mr. Harkin's views on policing, many disagreed with the party's stance.

Paddy Devlin told the panel that people in Strabane and Castlederg who have had undesirable experiences with the police in the past, were reluctant to join in the support for police until the hand over of policing powers was complete.

He said: "I want to know what your plan B is, if this doesn't happen in May?"

Mr. Adams responded by saying that he was well aware of the difficulties in the past people have encountered with the police.

"I have no problem with people being against us on policing...My house had to be demolished on the Falls Road because it was subjected to so many raids over the years."

He said that it was as "emotionally difficult" for him to engage with policing as anyone else however he stressed that the difference now is that "we are holding them to account."

Foyle MLA Martina Anderson told the packed out hall that Sinn Fein members who had not taken up their seats on the policing board would be dealt with locally.

"We will never have a situation again where one community will police another."

She said that the problem of anti-social behaviour in Strabane was not a problem peculiar to the North rather it was a problem across Europe.

"We must make sure that we as a community engage with police in tackling anti-social behaviour but at the same time recognise the poverty and the system that young people don't feel apart of..."

She continued: "Are we up for it? without a doubt... There's not a question in our minds that this it not what we are doing." she said.