50:50 PSNI recruitment ends

Published Monday, 28 March 2011

A former Patten Commissioner tells UTV the time was right to end the temporary 50/50 police recruitment provision, which was introduced 10 years ago in a bid to increase the number of Catholic officers in the PSNI.

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50:50 recruitment ends
'Significant progress' - Rowan

The controversial recruitment policy was introduced after the 1999 Patten Report into police reform in Northern Ireland recommended that an equal number of Protestants and Catholics had to be accepted as new recruits into the service.

Last week, Secretary of State Owen Patterson announced the process would be scrapped because nearly 30% officers now come from a Catholic background.

"I think it's done the job it intended to do", Maurice Hayes told UTV Live Tonight on the day the provision officially ended.

"You don't want to keep these artificial frameworks in for longer than they need to be. It is a deliberate distortion of the normal method of recruitment.

Mr Hayes says the policy had an "important public purpose", which "has been met."

"You can let things take their course".

Last week, Mr Paterson explained: "Some ten years after the introduction of the provisions, a significant proportion of serving officers - currently 29.76% - are now from a Catholic community background," he said.

"It represents a tremendous change since the time of the Patten report when only 8.3% of Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were from a Catholic community background."

As a result of progress in a number of areas - including the completion of devolution and Northern Ireland's continued political progress - Mr Paterson said "the use of these special measures can no longer be justified."

The move has been criticised by Sinn Féin and the SDLP but was welcomed by unionist politicians.

Comments

27 Comments

Mark O in Londonderry wrote (419 days ago):

stevie, 10s of thousand of men and woman served in the RUC. As you have pointed out there were a few who took advantage of their position and murdered catholics. HOWEVER if the RUC were the Force Republicans make them out to be they would have been responsible for a LOT more than 55 deaths. The vast majority of RUC personnal served the community without favour. Every man and woman who put on the Uniform set themselves as targets, even when not at work they were in constant fear of being murdered. Brave men and woman whose reputation cannot be sullied by the few you mention. Unlike your heros in the IRA stevie, the vast majority of RUC personnal didnt have murder on their mind when they went to work! On topic 50/50 was needed. When it was introduced 1 in 10 officers was RC now it's 1 in 3 so it's done it's job. As stated nothing, apart from the IRA, stopped Catholics joining the RUC and if modern day Republican terrorists would quit targeting Catholic Officers there would be more than 30% in the PSNI.

lorna in limavady wrote (419 days ago):

Dave. yes look closely at the badge there is a crown maybe not as visible as the RUC badge. It also had a Harp. is that not the symbol of Ireland ? If the RUC had to wait for 50/50 recruitment we would have had a civil war with loyalists and republicans at each other's throats and no political footballs to kick between them. Why do some people believe we must have this 55/50 in order for Catholics to join the PSNI ?

stevie in belfast wrote (420 days ago):

@ lorna, Have you ever heard of billy mc caughey, john weir, james mitchell, the glenanne gang, etc etc. Read McCaughey's account of what the one Catholic member of his SPG went through. Would these things happen if the RUC was an inclusive police force?

lorna in limavady wrote (420 days ago):

Danso . There were many RC in the RUC inspite of threats. Religion was left at the church in order to do your duty . Have you any evidence to support your claim that RC were treated like scum ? other than what you get from SF. I know many RC officers who have had no problem having a career in the RUC. The IRA/Sf knew if they stopped the RC joining they could be able to claim the force to be Protestant. Do not judge all the force by the actions of a few. I knew an officer, now deceased and in NO way did he treat Catholics as scum as many of his friends in and out of the force were Catholic. BUT that didn't stop him from being murdered by the IRA with that claim.. The force was not secterian in later years. they recruited from decent families .

@ Colin, Oh dear colin, you messed that up did'nt you?. Care to try again?

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