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Revision as of 10:18, 5 February 2006 by Demiurge (talk | contribs) (rv professional vandalism)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Irish police forces |
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| Defunct Irish police forces |
| Royal Irish Constabulary (1822–1922) |
| Dublin Metropolitan Police (1836–1925) |
| Irish Republican Police (Irish Republic 1920–1922) |
| Royal Ulster Constabulary (1922–2001) |
| Current Irish police forces |
| Northern Ireland |
| Belfast Harbour Police (1847) |
| Larne Harbour Police (1847) |
| Royal Military Police (1946) |
| Belfast International Airport Constabulary (1994) |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland (2001) |
| Ministry of Defence Police (2004) |
| Republic of Ireland |
| Garda Síochána (1922) |
| Póilíní Airm (1922) |
| Garda Síochána Reserve (2006) |
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary and was created on Sunday, November 4 2001, as a result of a Policing Review set up under the Good Friday 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. The political party Sinn Féin, which represents about a quarter of Northern Ireland voters, has so far refused to endorse the PSNI until Patten's recommendations are "implemented in full". However, the other major nationalist party in the region, the SDLP, has joined the 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.
The PSNI has a positive discriminatory policy of recruiting 50% of its officers from a Roman Catholic background and 50% from a background other than Roman Catholic, in order to reverse the serious religious imbalance that existed in the RUC. The name and symbols of the organisation are designed to avoid alienating either major community. The badge features the saltire of St Patrick, and six symbols representing different and shared traditions: a crown, a harp, a shamrock, scales of justice, a torch and a laurel leaf. It is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
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.
In September 2005 the PSNI established the Historical Enquiries Team to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles.
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 April 1 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.