Introduction
Northern Ireland for obvious reasons has been an abnormal society and this engendered an abnormal form of policing. Since its foundation the RUC has always operated �under pressure�. The RUC has constantly been used as either, a political instrument or a political football.
For those who ask the question "how can policing return to normal?" are perhaps asking the wrong question. We should be asking "how can we make policing applicable to the society we hope to create and develop here for the first time?"
Often a lot of criticism directed against the RUC is politically motivated. However, that is not to say that the RUC is without fault. Over the years some of the allegations and accusations levelled against the RUC by nationalists were echoed within many working class Loyalist Communities.
We, along with other Political Parties negotiated the Good Friday Agreement. As part of that agreement we argued for the early release of Political Prisoners. We asked society to accept that Prisoners were part of the problem and had to be part of the solution. We asked society to accept that prisoners and combatants were prepared to abandon �the trail of tears� and pursue the democratic path.
How hypocritical is it of anyone to then call for the complete disbandment of the Police?
The Police should not be used as a political football, it is not to anyone�s advantage. Such an emotive issue must be treated in a most sensitive and wholly realistic manner.
We should also be mindful that those who serve in the ranks of the RUC are employees. They too, have rights. Serving officers and their families constitute a substantial section of our community. They too are citizens who have as much interest in the future as anyone else. They too, have suffered terribly during the past 30 years and long for peace as much as their fellow citizenry.
The Progressive Unionist Party is of the opinion that in the changing climate there needs to be reform within the RUC to meet the new challenges created by the Good Friday Agreement. That reform must be based on practical and operation considerations and not � change for the sake of change�.
We are opposed to the call for the name of the RUC to be changed because that call is based on purely political motivations and it will not enhance the performance of the Police nor will it make the Police any more acceptable to those who are stagnated in their political dogma.
Recently we witnessed the world of sport being subjected to that Republican rhetoric of yesteryear. Donegal Celtic Football Club based in West Belfast has for many years been attempting to build a quality soccer club that will be able to climb into the higher echelons of the soccer leagues in Northern Ireland. Bringing a higher standard of soccer into their own area is as obvious benefit to the community and to the many young people who play soccer in West Belfast.
They had played their way through to the latter stages of a major competition and were drawn to play the RUC soccer team. There was no hue and cry from the masses of Nationalist in West Belfast for Donegal Celtic Football Club not to play the tie. But Sinn Fein and Republicans orchestrated intimidation, pressure and threats to force the Club to forgo a democratic decision and withdraw from the tie.
That, is prime example of political motivation and using the RUC as a political football. Does anyone believe if the RUC had changed their name that this tie would have went ahead?
Structure
Northern Ireland is comparatively small country and therefore it is both practical and economical to have a single Police service. There could be an overhaul of Police infrastructure i.e. Police Districts and Divisions, Departments etc.
Policing
The Police Service should strive to command the support of the entire community.
The Police should reflect religions, ethnic and class make-up and we are conscious of the reasons why it is not like this at present.
The shortage of Roman Catholics in the Police Service, that is understandable due to the fact that they were told by the IRA that they would be shot dead if they did join. In fact they can�t even play a RUC football match never mind join up.
We do not agree with the unrealistic demand that ex-prisoners or ex-combatants should be any part of the Police Service. Our community would not stand for it nor would Nationalists. This again is a politically motivated request that has no support in the real world.
However, we do not believe strongly that the children and relatives of ex-prisoners or ex-combatants, providing they meet the criteria should not be discriminated against nor discouraged from joining the RUC.
Class and postcode discrimination should not be tolerated.
The Chinese Community makes up 10% of the population of Belfast. We must realise and accept that outside of the two main denominations there are considerable proportions of other ethnic people whose numbers, culture and identity need to be reflected in any Police Service.
Retraining
95% of the officers presently serving in the RUC have never served in peacetime. There is a need to retrain all those officers and get ride of the �Landrover Syndrome�.
There must be a return to proper policing on the beat over 24 hours not the 9 to 5 hours they are presently operating. The Police must be encouraged to go into the community and make contact with the people, get to know the community representatives and to actively encourage the Police to become more involved with those groups that wish them to do so.
We must move away from emergency policing and emergency legislation which can so easily put aside basic civil liberties in the name of security.
A descheduling of offences
The end of Diplock Courts
A return to the jury system
The removal of the plethora of emergency legislation
�The use of PACE Laws
An end to the public use of DMSU
Police Authority
The present situation where the Chief Constable has total and absolute power is absolutely unacceptable. The Police Authority should be multi-faceted, socially representative and should have reasonable status and power.
PLC's
Should be more open and reflect communities at present some people are being excluded from these liaison committees because they are deemed to be unacceptable to the Police. This must not be allowed to continue simply because the community representatives must reflect the whole community not certain so called �respectable� sections of it.
Numbers
We are presently in a transitional period between war and peace. There are still many dangers within our country, still many hurdles to overcome, therefore, there should be no rash decisions or reductions in numbers in the short term. Sensible well-planned strategies must be worked out conditional on political progress and stability.
In the meantime, resources previously directed towards the violence should now be diverted to combat the growing problem of drugs.
The Special Branch should be removed totally from drug detecting and the Drug Squad should be strengthened and given all the resources necessary to tackle this ever-growing problem.
Restorative Justice
The RUC is asking that the community should trust and have confidence in them. We also ask them to have trust and confidence in the community. There are a number of Restorative Justice programmes in the community at present. One of which is the Greater Shankill Alternatives which is currently operating in the Greater Shankill area of Belfast with the co-operation of the local police in the sub division. This we believe is the way forward. The R.U.C. should welcome these initiatives and become involved wholeheartedly. They are not substitutes for a police force nor should they be but a modern approach to an age old problem.
Any changes to the police must be carried out in an objective manner and those changes must be motivated by performance enhancement and not by politics.