The British government has announced its most far-reaching review of police accountability in the North in almost 30 years. It says the Police Authority, which acts as a public watchdog over the RUC, is perceived to be weak and that change is necessary.
Launching the consultative paper Your Voice, Your Choice yesterday, the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, said she was proposing options for developing an "even more effective partnership" between the RUC and the public.
She said there was a need to "look at ways of involving the whole community more extensively in the work of the police service and in the fight against crime". At present all appointments to the authority are made directly by the Northern Secretary. Both the SDLP and Sinn Fein boycott the body, which they claim is powerless.
Three options for reform are outlined in the paper. The first involves the Northern Secretary continuing to appoint all members but geographically, ensuring that all parts of the North are equally represented.
Option two, the most radical, involves either direct election to the authority or membership based on the number of seats held by political parties at local council level or in any newly elected body.
The third option suggests that elected members form half the authority and appointees make up the other half. The Northern Secretary currently appoints the authority's chair and vice-chair. It has been proposed that the authority might make these appointments.
If seats are given out on the basis of the parties elected representation, Sinn Fein would be entitled to places. However, under present conditions, the party is unlikely to accept such offers. No change to the authority is expected for two years when the authority is due for re-selection.
At a press conference at Stormont Castle in Belfast yesterday, Dr Mowlam said: "The existing authority has given valuable service to the whole community here but it has been hampered by perceived weaknesses. I want to ad dress those - especially its representativeness and its independence - so that best use can be made of the new powers I am proposing for it in the Police Bill.
"I wish to make the RUC open and accountable to the whole of Northern Ireland, including those elements of the nationalist community who see weaknesses, not just in the RUC but also the Police Authority, and would like changes to be made."
Dr Mowlam said it was important that the authority "is and is seen to be a robust, independent body, capable of representing the views, wishes and concerns of the community to the police". In an implicit reference to continuing paramilitary so-called punishment attacks, she said: "There can be no place for vigilantism, coercion or so-called alternative systems of justice based on excluding the police or other statutory agencies from their proper functions within the law".
The discussion document asks for suggestions on the operation of community-police liaison committees. Dr Mowlam invited interested organisations or individuals to make their ideas on improving police accountability known over the next two months. However, the British government believes there is little chance of adding whatever is decided to the Police Northern Ireland Bill which is going through parliament. It transfers to the RUC Chief Constable day-to-day management of all police resources, involving its £660 million budget, introduces a new independent police complaints system, sets out service objectives for the force and aims to introduce more decision-making at local level by RUC divisional commanders.