Police Service of Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police
force that serves Northern Ireland
. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary
which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary
in Northern Ireland.
The RUC was renamed on 4 November 2001 as a result of a ten year reform plan for policing set up under the Belfast 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
. He originally proposed the name Northern Ireland Police Service; however the abbreviation NIPS was thought inappropriate for a variety of reasons. The final decision included in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000
was to rename the force to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary), to be shortened to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for operational purposes.
All major political parties in Northern Ireland, nationalist and unionist
support the PSNI. At first the political party Sinn Féin
, which represents about a quarter of Northern Ireland voters, had refused to endorse the PSNI until Patten's recommendations were implemented in full. However, as part of the St Andrews Agreement
Sinn Féin announced its full acceptance of the Police Service of Northern Ireland at a special Ard Fheis
on the issue of policing on 28 January 2007.
The other major nationalist
party in the region, the Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP), has joined the Northern Ireland 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 had been implemented.
In September 2005 the PSNI established the Historical Enquiries Team
to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles.
, however, and may change. Each district is headed by a Chief Superintendent. Districts are divided into areas, commanded by a Chief Inspector and they in turn are divided into sectors, commanded by Inspectors. In recent years under new structural reforms some Chief Inspectors command more than one Area as the PSNI strives to make savings. Policing and Justice was passed to the Northern Ireland Assembly with the devolution of Policing and Justice on 9 March 2010, although direction and control of the PSNI remains under the Chief Constable.
and the adjacent United Kingdom waters. Other than in mutual aid circumstances they have more limited police powers in the other two legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom - England and Wales
or Scotland
.
, the police force of the Republic of Ireland
. This recommendation was enacted in 2002 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement on Policing Cooperation, which set the basis for the exchange of officer between the two services. There are three levels of exchanges:
The protocols for this movements of personnel were signed by both the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána on 21 February 2005.
.
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland deals with any complaints regarding the PSNI and investigates any allegations of misconduct by police officers. The current Police Ombudsman is former Oversight Commissioner Al Hutchinson
who took over from Nuala O'Loan
in November 2007. The Oversight Commissioner is appointed to ensure that the Patten recommendations were implemented 'comprehensively and faithfully' and attempted to assure the community that all aspects of the report were being implemented and being seen to be implemented. The Oversight role ended on 31 May 2007, with the final report indicating that of Patten's 175 recommendations, 140 had been completed with a further 16 "substantially completed".
The PSNI is also internally regulated by "Professional Standards Department" (PSD) whose motto is "integrity is not negotiable". PSD can direct local "professional standards champions" (Superintendents at District level) to investigate relatively minor matters while a "misconduct panel" will consider more serious misconduct issues. Outcomes from misconduct hearings range from Dismissal, requirement to resign, reduction in rank, monetary fines and cautions.
policy of recruiting 50% of its trainee officers from a Catholic background and 50% from a non-Catholic background, as recommended by the Patten Report, in order to address the under-representation of the Catholic/Nationalist community that has existed for many decades in policing; in 2001 the RUC was drawn almost 92% from the Protestant/Unionist community. While many Unionist politicians perceived "50:50" as unfair, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
maintained that special measures to secure minority participation were in accordance with international human rights standards and did not in law constitute 'discrimination'. By February 2011, 29.7% of the 7,200 officers were from the Catholic community, but among the 2,500 police support staff, where the 50:50 rule operates only for larger recruitment drives, the proportion of Catholics just exceeded 18%. The British Government nevertheless proposed to end the 50:50 measure, and provisions for 'lateral entry' of Catholic officers from other police forces, with effect from end-March 2011. Following a public consultation the special measures were ended, in respect of police and support staff, in April 2011. Deloitte conducts recruitment exercises on behalf of the PSNI, and was the dominant firm in the Consensia Partnership
which did so from 2001 to 2009.
of the early 1970s, although Hunt recommended that British blue should be introduced. The Patten report, however, recommended the retention of the green uniform (Recommendation No. 154). The RUC officially described this as 'rifle green'. When the six new versions of the PSNI uniform were introduced, in March 2002, the term 'bottle green' was used for basically the same colour to convey a less militaristic theme.
The PSNI badge features the St. Patrick's saltire, and six symbols representing different and shared traditions:
The flag of the PSNI is the badge in the centre of a dark green field. Under the Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 no other flag can be used by the PSNI and it is the only one permitted to be flown on any PSNI building, vehicle, aircraft or vessel.
s and in recent years have been issued the stab vest
s worn by most UK police officers and the Gardaí
. Flak jackets were routinely worn by officers in Ballymena
in late 2004, and in December 2007 for PSNI officers patrolling in the Greater Belfast
& Greater Derry City
areas owing to the threat from dissident republican
s. In 2009 the PSNI issued an upgraded and redesigned flak jacket to operational officers. While the flak jacket offers a high level of ballistic protection many officers prefer the lighter and more comfortable stab vest. Both are issued to each operational officer and the wearing of body armour generally comes down to personal preference, except in areas of high threat.
that routinely arms all of its officers. Officers are issued the Glock 17
pistol, phasing out the now considered obsolete Ruger Speed Six revolvers previously issued. Previously long arms were routinely issued: either the Heckler & Koch MP5
, or rifles such as Heckler & Koch G3
s, G36Cs or HK33s which replaced Ruger AC-556 select fire rifles. Long arms are still routinely carried in areas of higher threat such as North and West Belfast or various border areas.
but with the improving security situation these are less likely to be used for everyday patrols and are more likely to be used for crowd control instead. Other vehicles include MG ZT
s, Škoda Octavia
s, Škoda Superb
, Vauxhall Vectras, Ford Mondeo
s, Volkswagen Passat
Estates, Volkswagen Transporter
and Volkswagen Crafter
. 4X4 vehicles include Mitsubishi Shoguns , Range Rover
s and have recently taken delivery of Land Rover Discovery 4. Higher spec cars include Volkswagen Golf
R32s, Vauxhall Vectra VXRs , Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
and Vauxhall Insignia VXRs . Many older armoured vehicles are still in use, but newer cars are more likely to be non-armoured. The PSNI have a fleet of Honda and BMW R 1200 RT motorbikes. The PSNI also have a fleet of 242 bicycles which are used for city centres and walkway patrols.
, registration G-PSNI and callsign Police 41. The PSNI (and the RUC) relied heavily on British Army
helicopter support during the Troubles
and into the 21st century. A new Eurocopter EC 145 registration G-PSNO and callsign Police 42 was acquired in 2010 at a cost of £7 million. The PSNI also hire a third helicopter out from Veritair
, a Eurocopter BK117, registration G-DCPA and callsign Police 43. Finally the PSNI have a fixed wing aircraft , a Britten-Norman Islander
, registration G-BSWR and callsign Scout 1 this aircraft is due to be replaced in 2011 by another Britten-Norman Islander
. All aircraft are used for investigations, anti-crime operations, traffic management, search and rescue, public order situations, crime reduction initiatives and tackling terrorism.
, CS (irritant) Spray, extendible batons, a first aid pouch, an encrypted radio and a torch with traffic wand, Limb Restraints, finally the PSNI plan to distribute 2100 BlackBerry devices to officers by the end of March 2011 and by March 2012 they plan to distribute an additional 2000 devices.
.
The senior officer in charge of the PSNI is its Chief Constable
. To date this position has been held, substantively or temporarily, by five people:
The Chief Constable of Northern Ireland is the third highest paid British police officer, after the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
. http://www.police-information.co.uk/policepay.htm
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force that serves Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
in Northern Ireland.
The RUC was renamed on 4 November 2001 as a result of a ten year reform plan for policing set up under the Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
. This agreement required the creation of an Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland
Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland
The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland was established in 1998 as part of the Belfast Agreement, intended as a major step in the Northern Ireland peace process. Chaired by Conservative politician Chris Patten, it was better known as the Patten Commission. The other members of...
, which became known as the Patten Commission after its chairman, Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
. He originally proposed the name Northern Ireland Police Service; however the abbreviation NIPS was thought inappropriate for a variety of reasons. The final decision included in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000
Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000
The Police Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act renamed the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, created the Northern Ireland Policing Board and District Police Partnerships.-External links:*, as originally enacted, from the Office of...
was to rename the force to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary), to be shortened to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for operational purposes.
All major political parties in Northern Ireland, nationalist and unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
support the PSNI. At first the political party Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, which represents about a quarter of Northern Ireland voters, had refused to endorse the PSNI until Patten's recommendations were implemented in full. However, as part of the St Andrews Agreement
St Andrews Agreement
The St Andrews Agreement was an agreement between the British and Irish Governments and the political parties in relation to the devolution of power to Northern Ireland...
Sinn Féin announced its full acceptance of the Police Service of Northern Ireland at a special Ard Fheis
Ard Fheis
Ardfheis or Ard Fheis is the name used by many Irish political parties for their annual party conference. The term was first used by Conradh na Gaeilge, the Irish language cultural organisation, for its annual convention....
on the issue of policing on 28 January 2007.
The other major nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
party in the region, the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP), has joined the Northern Ireland Policing Board
Northern Ireland Policing Board
The Northern Ireland Policing Board is the police authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland...
and says that it is satisfied that the Patten recommendations are being implemented. In the summer of 2005, the SDLP's Alex Attwood
Alex Attwood
Alex Attwood, MLA is an Irish politician, currently serving in the Northern Ireland Executive, and is the Social Democratic and Labour Party MLA for Belfast West....
estimated that 80% of Patten's recommendations had been implemented.
In September 2005 the PSNI established the Historical Enquiries Team
Historical Enquiries Team
The Historical Enquiries Team is a unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland set up in September 2005 to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles ....
to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles.
Organisation
In 2001 the old police divisions and sub-divisions were replaced with 29 District Command Units (DCUs), broadly coterminous with local council areas. In 2007 these 29 Districts were replaced by 8 Districts ('A' through 'H') in anticipation of local government restructuring under the Review of Public Administration (RPA). These council boundaries have not been finalised by the Northern Ireland AssemblyNorthern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, however, and may change. Each district is headed by a Chief Superintendent. Districts are divided into areas, commanded by a Chief Inspector and they in turn are divided into sectors, commanded by Inspectors. In recent years under new structural reforms some Chief Inspectors command more than one Area as the PSNI strives to make savings. Policing and Justice was passed to the Northern Ireland Assembly with the devolution of Policing and Justice on 9 March 2010, although direction and control of the PSNI remains under the Chief Constable.
Jurisdiction
Police Officers of the PSNI have full police powers throughout Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the adjacent United Kingdom waters. Other than in mutual aid circumstances they have more limited police powers in the other two legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom - England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
or Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Cooperation with Garda Síochána
The Patten Report recommended that a programme of long-term personnel exchanges should be established between the PSNI and the Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
, the police force of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. This recommendation was enacted in 2002 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement on Policing Cooperation, which set the basis for the exchange of officer between the two services. There are three levels of exchanges:
- Personnel exchanges, for all ranks, without policing powers and for a term up to one year
- Secondments: for ranks Sergeant to Chief Superintendent, with policing powers, for up to three years
- Lateral entry by the permanent transfer of officers for ranks above Inspector and under Assistant Commissioner
The protocols for this movements of personnel were signed by both the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána on 21 February 2005.
Education
The PSNI also has an education organisation named 'B safe', created by Dympna Thornton in 2006.Accountability
The PSNI is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing BoardNorthern Ireland Policing Board
The Northern Ireland Policing Board is the police authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland...
.
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland deals with any complaints regarding the PSNI and investigates any allegations of misconduct by police officers. The current Police Ombudsman is former Oversight Commissioner Al Hutchinson
Al Hutchinson
Al Hutchinson is a former RCMP Assistant Commissioner, who served as the Police Oversight Commissioner in Northern Ireland, who in November 2007 became the second Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland....
who took over from Nuala O'Loan
Nuala O'Loan
Nuala Patricia O'Loan, Baroness O'Loan, DBE is a noted public figure in Northern Ireland. She was the first Police Ombudsman in between 1999 and 2007. In July 2009, it was announced that she was to be appointed to the House of Lords. Consequently, she was raised to the peerage as Baroness O'Loan,...
in November 2007. The Oversight Commissioner is appointed to ensure that the Patten recommendations were implemented 'comprehensively and faithfully' and attempted to assure the community that all aspects of the report were being implemented and being seen to be implemented. The Oversight role ended on 31 May 2007, with the final report indicating that of Patten's 175 recommendations, 140 had been completed with a further 16 "substantially completed".
The PSNI is also internally regulated by "Professional Standards Department" (PSD) whose motto is "integrity is not negotiable". PSD can direct local "professional standards champions" (Superintendents at District level) to investigate relatively minor matters while a "misconduct panel" will consider more serious misconduct issues. Outcomes from misconduct hearings range from Dismissal, requirement to resign, reduction in rank, monetary fines and cautions.
Recruitment
The PSNI was initially legally obliged to operate an affirmative actionAffirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
policy of recruiting 50% of its trainee officers from a Catholic background and 50% from a non-Catholic background, as recommended by the Patten Report, in order to address the under-representation of the Catholic/Nationalist community that has existed for many decades in policing; in 2001 the RUC was drawn almost 92% from the Protestant/Unionist community. While many Unionist politicians perceived "50:50" as unfair, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is a non-departmental public body funded through the Northern Ireland Office but operating independently of government as the national human rights institution for Northern Ireland...
maintained that special measures to secure minority participation were in accordance with international human rights standards and did not in law constitute 'discrimination'. By February 2011, 29.7% of the 7,200 officers were from the Catholic community, but among the 2,500 police support staff, where the 50:50 rule operates only for larger recruitment drives, the proportion of Catholics just exceeded 18%. The British Government nevertheless proposed to end the 50:50 measure, and provisions for 'lateral entry' of Catholic officers from other police forces, with effect from end-March 2011. Following a public consultation the special measures were ended, in respect of police and support staff, in April 2011. Deloitte conducts recruitment exercises on behalf of the PSNI, and was the dominant firm in the Consensia Partnership
Consensia partnership
The Consensia Partnership is a former trading name for a consortium led by Deloitte, used from 2001 to 2009 in relation to a contract to carry out recruitment of police officers for the Police Service of Northern Ireland...
which did so from 2001 to 2009.
Policies
In September 2006 it was confirmed that Assistant Chief Constable Judith Gillespie approved the PSNI policy of using children as informants including in exceptional circumstances to inform on their own family but not their parents. The document added safeguards included having a parent or "appropriate adult" present at meetings between juveniles and their handler. It also stressed a child's welfare should be paramount when considering the controversial tactics and required that any risk had been properly explained to them and a risk assessment completed.Uniform
The colour of the PSNI uniform is green. Pre-1970s RUC uniforms retained a dark green, which was often mistaken as black. A lighter shade of green was introduced following the Hunt reformsRoyal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
of the early 1970s, although Hunt recommended that British blue should be introduced. The Patten report, however, recommended the retention of the green uniform (Recommendation No. 154). The RUC officially described this as 'rifle green'. When the six new versions of the PSNI uniform were introduced, in March 2002, the term 'bottle green' was used for basically the same colour to convey a less militaristic theme.
The PSNI badge features the St. Patrick's saltire, and six symbols representing different and shared traditions:
- The Scales of JusticeScales of JusticeScales of Justice can refer to:* Justice* Scales held by Lady Justice symbolizing the measure of a case's support and opposition* Scales of Justice , a 1983 Australian television drama* Scales of Justice , a 1990 American series...
(representing equality and justice) - The harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
(a traditional Irish symbol but not the Brian Boru harp used as an official emblem in the RepublicRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
) - A torchTorchA torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
(representing enlightenment and a new beginning) - An olive branchOlive branchThe olive branch in Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, symbolizes peace or victory and was worn by brides.-Ancient Greece and Rome:...
(a peace symbol from Ancient GreeceAncient GreeceAncient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
) - A shamrockShamrockThe shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....
(a traditional Irish symbol, used by St Patrick, patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of all Ireland, to explain the ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
TrinityTrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
) - A crownCrown (headgear)A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
(a traditional symbol of royalty but not one worn by or representing the British SovereignMonarchy of the United KingdomThe monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
)
The flag of the PSNI is the badge in the centre of a dark green field. Under the Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 no other flag can be used by the PSNI and it is the only one permitted to be flown on any PSNI building, vehicle, aircraft or vessel.
Body armour
PSNI officers routinely wear flak jacketFlak jacket
thumb|300px|The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of [[ballistic nylon]] that provide the actual protection...
s and in recent years have been issued the stab vest
Stab vest
A stab vest, or stab proof vest is a reinforced piece of body armor, worn under or over other items of clothing, which is designed to resist knife attacks to the chest, back and sides...
s worn by most UK police officers and the Gardaí
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
. Flak jackets were routinely worn by officers in Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
in late 2004, and in December 2007 for PSNI officers patrolling in the Greater Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
& Greater Derry City
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
areas owing to the threat from dissident republican
Dissident republican
The term dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is used to describe Irish republicans who do not support the current peace agreements in Ireland. Some dispute the validity of both parliaments on the island The term dissident republican or anti-ceasefire republican is used to describe...
s. In 2009 the PSNI issued an upgraded and redesigned flak jacket to operational officers. While the flak jacket offers a high level of ballistic protection many officers prefer the lighter and more comfortable stab vest. Both are issued to each operational officer and the wearing of body armour generally comes down to personal preference, except in areas of high threat.
Firearms
Unlike the majority of police forces in the United Kingdom, the PSNI is the only territorial police forceTerritorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
that routinely arms all of its officers. Officers are issued the Glock 17
Glock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
pistol, phasing out the now considered obsolete Ruger Speed Six revolvers previously issued. Previously long arms were routinely issued: either the Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, or rifles such as Heckler & Koch G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
s, G36Cs or HK33s which replaced Ruger AC-556 select fire rifles. Long arms are still routinely carried in areas of higher threat such as North and West Belfast or various border areas.
Vehicles
The best known PSNI vehicle is the Land Rover TangiLand Rover Tangi
The Land Rover Tangi is the last in the line of a range of armoured vehicles, based on the Land Rover chassis used in policing during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. They have been used by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and, since its renaming, by the Police Service of Northern Ireland...
but with the improving security situation these are less likely to be used for everyday patrols and are more likely to be used for crowd control instead. Other vehicles include MG ZT
MG ZT
The MG ZT is a high-performance MG-branded version of the Rover 75 executive car, produced by MG Rover at their Longbridge plant in Birmingham from 2001 to 2005. An estate version, the MG ZT-T, was also available. Styling is similar to the 75, although uprated springs and chassis modifications make...
s, Škoda Octavia
Škoda Octavia
The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by Czech automaker Škoda Auto since 1996, its name revived from a model originally produced between 1959 and 1971. The current Octavia is available in five-door liftback and station wagon....
s, Škoda Superb
Škoda Superb
The Škoda Superb is a large family car primarily built by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto as its flagship car. The versions produced from 2001 to 2008 are based on the platform of the Volkswagen Passat, but are elongated by , and shares its major mechanicals and powertrain with the Passat,...
, Vauxhall Vectras, Ford Mondeo
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was launched on 8 January 1993, and sales began on 22 March 1993. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk...
s, Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car marketed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars through six design generations since 1973. Between the Volkswagen Golf / Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up, the Passat and its derivatives have been badged variously as...
Estates, Volkswagen Transporter
Volkswagen Transporter
The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its fifth generation, refers to a series of vans produced over 60 years and marketed worldwide....
and Volkswagen Crafter
Volkswagen Crafter
The Volkswagen Crafter, introduced in 2006, is the largest 3 to 5 tonne van sold by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. It is the third generation of the Volkswagen LT truck, which has been in production since 1975....
. 4X4 vehicles include Mitsubishi Shoguns , Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...
s and have recently taken delivery of Land Rover Discovery 4. Higher spec cars include Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
R32s, Vauxhall Vectra VXRs , Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
and Vauxhall Insignia VXRs . Many older armoured vehicles are still in use, but newer cars are more likely to be non-armoured. The PSNI have a fleet of Honda and BMW R 1200 RT motorbikes. The PSNI also have a fleet of 242 bicycles which are used for city centres and walkway patrols.
Air support
In May 2005 the PSNI took delivery of its first helicopter, a Eurocopter EC 135Eurocopter EC 135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
, registration G-PSNI and callsign Police 41. The PSNI (and the RUC) relied heavily on British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
helicopter support during the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
and into the 21st century. A new Eurocopter EC 145 registration G-PSNO and callsign Police 42 was acquired in 2010 at a cost of £7 million. The PSNI also hire a third helicopter out from Veritair
Veritair
Veritair Aviation Limited is a helicopter charter company based at Cardiff Heliport, in Cardiff, Wales. It operates year round charter and contract helicopter services throughout United Kingdom and Europe...
, a Eurocopter BK117, registration G-DCPA and callsign Police 43. Finally the PSNI have a fixed wing aircraft , a Britten-Norman Islander
Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
, registration G-BSWR and callsign Scout 1 this aircraft is due to be replaced in 2011 by another Britten-Norman Islander
Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
. All aircraft are used for investigations, anti-crime operations, traffic management, search and rescue, public order situations, crime reduction initiatives and tackling terrorism.
Other Items
Other items of equipment include Hiatts SpeedcuffsHiatts Speedcuffs
Speedcuffs are a model of handcuff which were designed and produced by the now defunct UK based Hiatt & Company. They are now produced by Safariland. They are characterised by their rigid grip between the two ratchet cuffs, this replacing the older type which were linked by a chain...
, CS (irritant) Spray, extendible batons, a first aid pouch, an encrypted radio and a torch with traffic wand, Limb Restraints, finally the PSNI plan to distribute 2100 BlackBerry devices to officers by the end of March 2011 and by March 2012 they plan to distribute an additional 2000 devices.
Headquarters
The service's headquarters are located in Knock, an area in east BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
Chief Constables
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
. To date this position has been held, substantively or temporarily, by five people:
- Chief Constable Sir Ronnie FlanaganRonnie FlanaganSir Ronald Flanagan, GBE, QPM, was the Home Office Chief Inspector of Constabulary for the United Kingdom excluding Scotland...
OBE, from the formation of the PSNI. Flanagan was previously the Chief Constable of the RUC. - Acting Chief Constable Colin CramphornColin CramphornColin Ralph Cramphorn CBE, QPM, DL, FRSA was the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police from September 2002 to November 2006....
, from 1 April 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 OrdeHugh OrdeSir Hugh Stephen Roden Orde, OBE, QPM is the current President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, representing the 44 police forces of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Between 2002-2009 he was the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland .Sir Hugh joined London's...
OBE, from 29 May 2002 until August 2009. Cramphorn continued as Orde's deputy until September 2002, when he was appointed Chief Constable of West Yorkshire PoliceWest Yorkshire PoliceWest Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers....
. - Deputy Chief Constable Judith GillespieJudith GillespieJudith Gillespie OBE is the current Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, appointed in June 2009.-References:...
, acting from August 2009 until 22 September 2009. - Chief Constable Matt BaggottMatt BaggottMatthew David Baggott CBE QPM is Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, succeeding Sir Hugh Orde in September 2009....
CBE, QPM, from 22 September 2009.
The Chief Constable of Northern Ireland is the third highest paid British police officer, after the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
. http://www.police-information.co.uk/policepay.htm
Ranks
- Chief Constable
- Deputy Chief Constable
- Assistant Chief Constable
- Chief Superintendent
- Superintendent
- Chief Inspector
- Inspector
- Sergeant
- Constable
See also
- Aerial roof markingsAerial roof markingsAerial roof markings are symbols, letters or numbers on the roof of emergency vehicles, such as police cars, fire engines and ambulances to enable aircraft to identify them. These markings can be used to identify a specific vehicle, vehicle type or agency...
- Policing in the United KingdomPolicing in the United KingdomLaw enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....
- List of Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland
- An Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
- the police service in the Republic of Ireland