The killers behind nearly 2,000 unsolved murders in Northern Ireland are unlikely to ever be caught, Chief Constable Hugh Orde admitted tonight. With his resources stretched to the limit, Mr Orde suggested a truth and reconciliation commission as a form of closure for victims' relatives.
The police chief insisted it was time for tough choices to made in order to allow his detectives to crack modern day crime.
Convictions have yet to be secured on more than 1,800 murders spanning back through 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.
But Mr Orde claimed the number of officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland meant there was little chance of progress.
He said: "I have made it very clear when I have met families of victims that in an evidential sense we are going to be struggling to secure convictions.
"A conviction is an unlikely outcome even if you put a lot of resources for a long period of time into one or two cases."
Under the Patten recommendations for overhauling the police force, the number of full-time officers have been slashed to 7,500.
Under the new arrangements Mr Orde stressed the main objective has to be preventing further murders and investigating the most recent killings.
In an interview for BBC Northern Ireland he warned: "We will have to be very strong about this. We will have to make some difficult decisions."
One way forward could be a truth forum where the security forces and others involved in the Troubles can come forward and speak publicly about the past, he claimed.
"I think that probably is the way forward.
"There needs to be something that gives everyone an opportunity to say their piece, to get the best explanation they can on what happened to their families, their loved ones so they can then get on with their lives."