A continuing failure to keep some victims of crime informed about their investigations was described as “quite disconcerting” at yesterday’s Policing Authority meeting with the Garda Commissioner.

Detections for drink driving are up this year despite a significant drop in the number of people being breathalysed.

Josephine Feehily marked our cards from the outset.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said the board members of the new Policing Authority were of the “highest calibre”, after claims they were political appointees.

The final round of interviews for the next Garda commissioner began yesterday with interim police boss Noirin O’Sullivan the first among three candidates being grilled by an expert panel.

The North’s deputy chief constable has rejected claims officers have deliberately delayed the disclosure of top secret material for legacy inquests to protect former colleagues.

A judge has ordered the police to fully explain the purpose of meetings commanders held with ex-officers about inquests into historic Troubles killings.

A Co Down-born police commander has seen off competition from senior officers in London and Dublin to be named the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s new Chief Constable.

Dealing with the past is costing Northern Ireland’s criminal justice system more than £30 million a year and risks denting public confidence in present-day services, an inspection has revealed.

A murder inquiry into the Bloody Sunday killings in Derry is to begin in the new year.

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has given his clearest signal to date that he is willing to meet the Queen.

More than 300 former police officers in the North have been given specialist roles within the PSNI, the Policing Board heard.

Police in the North are to launch a major security operation against dissident republicans over the next number of days, a senior officer announced today.

Dissident republicans have been blamed for a car bomb attack in the North early today.

A major security operation was under way in the North tonight amid fears that dissident republicans are planning to launch attacks in the run-up to the UK General Election.

Police in the North are to launch a major security operation in the run-up to the UK general election amid fears of a dissident republican attack.

Members of the Stormont committee examining the devolution of policing powers from Westminster today demanded sight of the financial deal that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is offering to support the move.

Police chiefs in the North today poured cold water on Sinn Féin claims they were happy with the British Prime Minister’s financial package for achieving the devolution of responsibility for policing and justice to the Stormont Assembly.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board is to challenge the British government over a proposed £17m (€19.45m) cut to the police service budget at a crunch meeting with the North’s security minister, it was announced today.

Hugh Orde’s tenure as the North's Chief Constable ends today after seven years in charge of policing the region.

New controversy flared over the sectarian murder of a Catholic community worker tonight amid allegations of witness intimidation and claims from the dead man’s family that the PSNI failed to protect him.

The search for a new Chief Constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland was launched today.

The Policing Board has appointed a female deputy chief constable for the first time in the North's history.

A Strabane man accused of INLA membership was shot in the back by the INLA and is confined to a wheelchair as a result, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard today.

Property developer Barry Gilligan is set to take over as the new chairman of the North's Policing Board.

Four policemen in the North killed in an horrific road crash died trying to make their community a safer place, mourners at three of their funerals heard today.

Police chiefs and the North's political leaders were today attending the first of the funerals for the four PSNI officers killed in an horrific road crash.

The North's Chief Constable Hugh Orde today led tributes to four policemen killed a horrific early morning road accident.

THE Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) yesterday reiterated its long-running call for improved vetting procedures for people working with children.

The British government today insisted all community justice schemes in Northern Ireland it approves will have to involve the police.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will be asked today to allay Policing Board concerns in the North about British government plans to fund controversial community restorative justice schemes.

A shocking rise of more than 60% in reported race hate crime in Northern Ireland was reported by police tonight.

Over €12m worth of drugs, tobacco, fuel and fake clothes have been seized in the past year as part of a major police crackdown on criminal gangs on both sides of the border, it was revealed today.

Police in Belfast today faced accusations of homophobia from a gay man beaten up in the city.

A woman made it into the upper ranks of policing in Northern Ireland for the first time tonight when she was appointed as an Assistant Chief Constable.

The PSNI have revealed that they secured only seven convictions out of 189 reported racist attacks in the year up to March 2003.

A loyalist paramilitary drug dealer was shot dead in Northern Ireland today when a gunman opened fire as his terrified child looked on.

Fifteen people were today appearing in court following the biggest police crackdown on the heroin trade in Northern Ireland.

Drug squad officers today mounted a major operation against heroin dealers in Northern Ireland.