In the conflict between Catholic Nationalists and Protestant Loyalists in Northern Ireland the security forces have played and continue to play a controversial and crucial role. Hailed by Loyalists as defenders of Ulster, condemned by Nationalists for their biased, sectarian practices, the police forces were often not mediators between both sides but combatants in the ‘Troubles’ who fueled the conflict. This paper intends to look at the history of policing in Northern Ireland from 1920 to 2001, focusing on the early years in order to show a path-dependency of the ‘Troubles’. It will substantiate that the conflict between the police forces and the population during the ‘Troubles’, beginning in 1968, was not a singular, isolated event that can be examined without its historical context. But rather, the seed of this conflict had been planted fifty years prior, when Northern Ireland’s police forces were established.
Chapter 3 looks at the public perception surrounding policing and will examine the differences and similarities of opinion between Catholics and Protestants. Chapter 4 deals with the internal problems facing policing. Furthermore, it will question Seamus Mallon’s, a former deputy leader of the SDLP and Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister from 1998 to 2001, statement that the RUC was “97% Protestant and 100% unionist” (Royal Ulster Constabulary 2006).
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Policing in Northern Ireland
2.1 Ulster Special Constabulary
2.2 Royal Ulster Constabulary
3 Police-Community Relations
4 Problems within the Polices forces
5 Conclusion
6 Works Cited
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the historical development and the problematic role of police forces in Northern Ireland between 1920 and 2001, specifically investigating how institutional biases and sectarian structures contributed to the escalation of the 'Troubles'. The central inquiry focuses on the causal link between the early formation of these security forces and the subsequent breakdown of trust and security during the sectarian conflict.
- Historical evolution of the Ulster Special Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
- Public perception and community relations between Catholics and Protestants regarding the police.
- Internal systemic issues, religious underrepresentation, and discrimination within the force.
- Impact of political rhetoric and institutional reform on security and social stability.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Ulster Special Constabulary
Until the partition of the six northern counties from the twenty-six southern counties of Ireland under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) policed the island of Ireland as a whole. In November of 1920 the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) was created as an armed auxiliary force for the RIC in the six northern counties. Originally an agreement – the so-called Craig-Collins pact – was reached stipulating that the USC units posted in Belfast’s mixed districts and those units that carried out arms searches should be half Catholic and half Protestant. Furthermore, it was agreed that an advisory committee was to be established, which would be made up of Catholics and which would take part in the selection of Catholic recruits. However, the above agreement was never enforced. As USC officers were largely recruited from the outlawed Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Orange Order, the Ulster Special Constabulary consequently became a sectarian force (Weitzer 1995, 41). The USC was divided into three categories: A Specials, B Specials, C Specials.
The so-called A Specials were paid, full-time officers who were given the same arms and equipment as the RIC. Unlike the RIC, the A Specials could only serve within the division where they were recruited, which means that they were posted in their home areas. The B Specials were unpaid officers but received an allowance for service and clothing. They served part-time duty (usually one evening per week plus training drills) under their own command structure in the area were they lived. The C Special were the USC’s reserve force. They were unpaid, non-uniformed reservists, and only to be called out in case of a crisis. Within two months of its foundation the Ulster Special Constabulary consisted of 3,500 A Specials, 16,000 B Specials, and 1,000 C Specials. The USC duties and responsibilities were to assist the RIC and later the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) during public disturbances, to staff road checkpoints, to carry out border patrols, and to counter IRA attacks (ibid., 32).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the role of security forces in the Northern Irish conflict and defines the historical scope of the study from 1920 to 2001.
2 Policing in Northern Ireland: This section details the formation and evolution of the Ulster Special Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary as the primary security apparatus.
3 Police-Community Relations: This chapter analyzes public opinion data from the 1970s to the 1990s, highlighting the divide in satisfaction and perception between Catholic and Protestant communities.
4 Problems within the Polices forces: This part investigates internal structural issues, including the systematic underrepresentation of Catholics and the prevalence of religious harassment within the ranks.
5 Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that the police's failure to act as neutral mediators aggravated the sectarian conflict.
6 Works Cited: This section provides a comprehensive list of all academic sources, reports, and statistical data referenced in the paper.
Keywords
Northern Ireland, Policing, Royal Ulster Constabulary, Ulster Special Constabulary, The Troubles, Sectarianism, Community Relations, Political Conflict, Nationalist, Loyalist, Police Reform, Patten Report, Discrimination, History, Security Forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper explores the historical role, structural development, and public perception of police forces in Northern Ireland throughout the 20th century, specifically during the period of 'The Troubles'.
Which security organizations are central to this analysis?
The study focuses on the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), tracing their formation from the early 1920s to their transformation into the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
What is the core research question?
The author investigates how the early establishment and sectarian nature of Northern Ireland's police forces created a path-dependency that fueled the 'Troubles' rather than resolving civil unrest.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The paper utilizes a historical-analytical approach, combining document analysis of government reports, historical records, and quantitative survey data regarding public attitudes toward policing.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main chapters cover the origins of the police, analyze the divergence in community trust between Catholics and Protestants, and identify internal systemic problems such as hiring biases and institutional harassment.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Northern Ireland, The Troubles, Royal Ulster Constabulary, sectarianism, community relations, and police reform.
How does the author evaluate the claim that the RUC was "97% Protestant and 100% unionist"?
The author concludes that this statement by Seamus Mallon serves as a rhetorical device to highlight the significant lack of Catholic representation, rather than being an empirically precise statistical description.
What do the public opinion polls reveal about police-community relations?
The data demonstrates a clear sectarian divide: while the majority of Protestants generally viewed the police favorably, the Catholic community remained significantly more critical, particularly regarding perceived bias and lack of impartiality.
What was the outcome of the 1997 RUC Equal Opportunities Unit survey?
The survey revealed alarming levels of religious harassment and discrimination within the force, with a much higher percentage of Catholic officers reporting negative experiences compared to their Protestant counterparts.
- Quote paper
- Johannes Steffens (Author), 2006, The police forces of Northern Ireland - history, perception and problems, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/63797
