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The 'Police Service of Northern Ireland' () is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary a controversial police force^[1] which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary.
The PSNI was created on 4 November 2001 as a result of a Policing Review set up under the Belfast Agreement. This agreement required the creation of an Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, which became known as the ''Patten Commission'' after its chairman, Chris Patten. He originally proposed the name Northern Ireland Police Service; however the abbreviation NIPS was thought inappropriate for a variety of reasons.
All major political parties in Northern Ireland, Nationalist and Unionist support the PSNI. At first the political party Sinn Féin, which represents about a quarter of Northern Ireland voters, had refused to endorse the PSNI until Patten's recommendations are implemented in full. However, as part of the St Andrews Agreement Sinn Féin announced its full acceptance of the Police Service of Northern Ireland at a special Ard Fheis on the issue of policing on the 28 January 2007.^[2]
The other major nationalist party in the region, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), has joined the Northern Ireland Policing Board and says that it is satisfied that the Patten recommendations are being implemented. In the summer of 2005, the SDLP's Alex Attwood estimated that 80% of Patten's recommendations have been implemented.
In September 2005 the PSNI established the Historical Enquiries Team to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles.

Contents

Accountability

Recruitment

Policies

Uniform and equipment

Chief Constables

References

Footnotes

See also

External links

Accountability

The PSNI is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland deals with any complaints regarding the PSNI and investigates any allegations of serious misconduct by police officers. The current Police Ombudsman is Nuala O'Loan.
The Oversight Commissioner ensures that the Patten recommendations are implemented 'comprehensively and faithfully' and attempts to assure the community that all aspects of the report are being implemented and being seen to be implemented.

Recruitment

The PSNI has a positive discrimination policy of recruiting 50% of its officers from a Roman Catholic background and 50% from a non Roman Catholic background, in order to reverse the serious religious imbalance that existed in the RUC as recommended by the Patten Report. The name and symbols of the organisation are designed to avoid alienating either major community. It is hoped that 30% of the force will be made up of Catholics by 2011. By 2006, 20% of PSNI officers were Catholic, compared with just 8.3% of the old RUC ^[3].

Policies

In September 2006 it was confirmed that Assistant Chief Constable Judith Gillespie approved the PSNI policy of using children as informants including in exceptional circumstances to inform on their own family but not their parents. The document added safeguards included having a parent or "appropriate adult" present at meetings between juveniles and their handler. It also stressed a child's welfare should be paramount when considering the controversial tactics and required that any risk had been properly explained to them and a risk assessment completed ^[4].

Uniform and equipment

The colour of the PSNI uniform is 'rifle green', like the later RIC uniforms before it. Originally the RUC uniforms were the traditioanl blue but were changed under the Hunt reforms of the early 1970s.
The PSNI badge features the saltire of St Patrick, and six symbols representing different and shared traditions:

★ The Scales of Justice (representing equality and justice)

★ The harp (a traditional Irish symbol but 'not' the Brian Boru harp used as official emblem in the Republic)

★ A torch (representing enlightenment and a new beginning)

★ An olive branch (a peace symbol from Ancient Greece)

★ A shamrock (a traditional Irish symbol, used by St Patrick, patron saint of all Ireland, to explain the Christian Trinity)

★ A crown (a traditional symbol of monarchy but 'not' the Crown worn by or representing the British Sovereign)





The flag of the PSNI is the badge in the centre of a dark green field. Under the ''Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002'' no other flag can be used by the PSNI and it is the only one permitted to be flown on any PSNI building, vehicle, aircraft or even vessel.[1]





Unlike the majority of Police Forces in the United Kingdom, the PSNI is the only service that patrols an entire regional area routinely armed.^[5] With the reduction of terrorist threats, officers are issued GLOCK 17 semi-automatic pistols replacing Ruger Security-Six revolvers that the RUC, and later PSNI were issued with. Previously they frequently carried long arms either the Heckler & Koch MP5 semi-auto carbine or rifles such as Heckler & Koch G3s or HK33s as well as Ruger Mini-14 select fire rifles. Tasers were once considered, but the idea was abandoned after the Ombudsman said there was no need for them.^[6] However an announcement in May 2007 by the Home Secretary John Reid suggested that more police officers in the UK may be armed with tasers. Amnesty International has urged the PSNI not to issue the stun guns to its officers.^[7]
Other items of equipment include Hiatts Speedcuffs, CS (irratant) Spray, extendable batons, a first aid pouch, an encrypted radio and a torch with traffic wand.
In May 2005 the PSNI took delivery of its first helicopter, a Eurocopter EC 135. The PSNI (and the RUC) relied heavily on British Army helicopter support during the Troubles and into the 21st century. The helicopter will be used for pursuit, search for missing persons and for managing parades/demonstrations etc.
The PSNI have taken delivery of a couple of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution patrol cars, in the hope they can discourage people from trying to outrun the police.
The service's headquarters are located close to Cherryvalley, in east Belfast.

Chief Constables

The senior officer in charge of the PSNI is its Chief Constable. To date this position has been held by three people:

★ Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan OBE, from the formation of the PSNI. Flanagan was previously the Chief Constable of the RUC.

★ Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn, from 1 April 2002. Cramphorn was formerly Flanagan's deputy, and with Flanagan's resignation Cramphorn acted as Chief Constable while the Policing Board sought a permanent replacement. Cramphorn is believed to have turned down the post of Chief Constable due to the political expectations that he was required to fulfil, but which he apparently believed were inappropriate at that time.

★ Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde OBE, from 29 May 2002. Cramphorn continued as Orde's deputy until September 2002, when he was appointed Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police.

References

Weitzer, Ronald. 1995. ''Policing Under Fire: Ethnic Conflict and Police-Community Relations in Northern Ireland'' (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press).
Weitzer, Ronald. 1996. “Police Reform in Northern Ireland,” Police Studies, v.19, no.2. pages:27-43.
Weitzer, Ronald. 1992. “Northern Ireland's Police Liaison Committees,” Policing and Society, vol.2, no.3, pages 233-243.

Footnotes

1.
The RUC: Lauded and condemned

2.
SF delegates vote to support policing
3.
Catholics now comprise fifth of PSNI officers

4.
PSNI allowed to use child informers

5.
Northern Ireland


6.
Ombudsman says no need for Tasers

7.
PSNI allowed to use child informers

See also

★ Policing in the United Kingdom

★ UK topics

★ List of Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland

External links

★ Police Service of Northern Ireland

★ The badge and flag of the PSNI

★ Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland website

★ PSNI Roll of Honour