New police service 'come what may' - Reid

Northern Ireland will have a new police service by September regardless of what happens in the peace process, Ulster Secretary John Reid vowed today.

With nationalists still withholding support for police reforms, Dr Reid told pupils at a Catholic grammar school in Ballymena, Co Antrim, he was determined to deliver the new service ‘‘come what may’’.

He told St Louis’s Grammar School pupils: ‘‘I hope that will happen with the active support of all sides of the community but this September, there will be a new police service for Northern Ireland - whatever else happens elsewhere in this process.

‘‘That is why we have begun 50/50 recruitment because we want to start working towards a police service which is, in the words of the advertisement a ‘true reflection of the whole comunity’.

‘‘And that is not a process which will end this September. Quite the reverse.

‘‘Five hundred more officers will be recruited on a 50/50 basis next year, and the year after that and so on until we reach the point where the service is that true reflection.’’

Dr Reid was speaking as the province prepared for possible round table talks on Thursday involving the British and Irish Governments and the pro Good Friday Agreement parties.

Stormont sources expect the Prime Minister Tony Blair to fly to Hillsborough Castle for the round table discussion and individual meetings with the parties.

It is hoped the talks will break the deadlock over IRA decommissioning, the scaling down of British Army bases, unionist sanctions against Sinn Fein and policing.

However with a recruitment drive under way for the police service, the problem of securing nationalist SDLP and Sinn Fein support for policing remains the most difficult.

Dr Reid reported today more than 9,000 people had sought application packs for the service since the launch of recruitment advertisements two weeks ago.

In a direct appeal to nationalists, he insisted recruits would be joining a police service which was ‘‘far in advance of anything I have seen in Europe or America’’.

The police in London, Dublin or Glasgow did not have the same ‘‘level of accountability and community interaction’’ that was being implemented in the province, he argued.

The Northern Ireland Secretary cited the powers of the Police Ombudsman and her team of investigators, the role of the Policing Board and District Policing Partnerships in holding the police to account, the new code of ethics and the role of the Oversight Commissioner Tom Constantine in overseeing reforms.

He acknowledged the transformation of the police from an ‘‘anti-terrorist security force’’ to a ‘‘much more community focused and community based’’ service was not easy for some in the RUC.

‘‘Already the RUC are living through the pain of that process - a pain not helped by the political uncertainty that continues to surround it,’’ Dr Reid said.

‘‘I understand just how frustrating that must be. I also deeply appreciate the very real efforts which are being made to manage the process and bring about the changes that are necessary. The RUC, once again, have shown real courage and determination.

‘‘But, equally, I appreciate the responsibility that places on all of us as politicians to keep delivering the changes that Patten called for so as we can have a police service that is a true reflection of the whole community in Northern Ireland.’’