Police Service of Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland ( PSNI ) (Irish Seirbhís Phóilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann ) is the reformed Police Service of Northern Ireland and is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ).

Prehistory

The members of the RUC were recruited earlier in their great majority (92 %) of Protestants, Catholics rarely joined it. This was due on one hand to distrust an organization that was considered dominated confessional; on the other hand feared Catholics reprisals from their own social environment. This meant that become independent not only the problem of unilateral personnel structure; Catholics also avoided to consult the police in the case of crimes or to cooperate with her. As a result of these developments occurred in predominantly Catholic neighborhoods in states that bordered on lawlessness.

Reforms

Then, during the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement reforms of the RUC were decided. They were based on the recommendations of the named after Chris Patten Patten reports, suggesting the following measures:

• The change of name: this was necessary because even with the " Royal " in the name of the police manifested to the claim of the Crown to Northern Ireland in the eyes of many Catholics

• The number of personnel was reduced to 7000 points. All remaining members of the RUC were automatically added to the PSNI, but new entrants have equal parts taken from two populations.

• The new police department is supervised by a bipartisan committee, the Policing Board

• The new look is underlined by a new uniform. This finds its special expression in the new emblem: the crown and harp more symbols are added: the shamrock, the torch, the laurel branch as well as the scales of justice.

The measures came into effect on 4 November 2001.

The police force is explicitly proportional to the confessional for new recruits committed. Since Poland joined the European Union in 2004, there is an increased inclusion of Polish Catholics in the police, who thus fulfills this mission.

Criticism

The transformation of the RUC is controversial. Criticized the Protestant side, that this too many concessions were made. In particular, the memory of the members of the RUC, who came in fulfillment of their ministry killed, had not been done sufficiently. One feels the abolition of the old name as an admission of defeat by the Republican movement.

In the criticism of the Catholic population, the measures are often dismissed as purely cosmetic; up on appearances nothing has changed. The distrust of the Protestant dominated RUC also adheres to the PSNI. Another point of criticism concerns the accountability of the new Police: still subordinate to the police of the British government in London. For this reason, Sinn Féin refuses to carry out its mandate in the Policing Board. Another bone of contention is the exercise of intelligence activities, not the police, but the British domestic intelligence service MI5 should be required. At a special party conference of Sinn Féin on 28 January 2007, however, the vast majority of the members voted to support the new Police Service of Northern Ireland, in order to clear the way for the reconvening of a local government in Belfast.

The stated aim of the reform of the police in Northern Ireland is to do with the PSNI police force, which is regarded by all sections of the population of Northern Ireland as an unbiased and impartial.