The North's Police Oversight Commissioner, Al Hutchinson, has urged Sinn Féin to endorse the PSNI while advising unionists that their opposition to 50:50 Catholic/Protestant police recruitment is wrong.
Mr Hutchinson, who is responsible for overseeing the Patten proposals on police reform, normally steers away from overtly political comments but yesterday, ahead of today's 17th commissioner's report, made plain his view that Sinn Féin should support the police.
"I would certainly encourage Sinn Féin to join the policing process," he told The Irish Times.
"There have been significant policing changes over the past five years and I would hate to see that undermined or understated," he added.
He made his comments as republicans deliberate over whether they should endorse the PSNI. The DUP has also demanded that Sinn Féin support the police before it would consider sharing power with the party. Mr Hutchinson's comments are also timely in that they come ahead of the all-party talks in less than two weeks' time hosted by the Taoiseach and British prime minister in Scotland, where policing will be high on the agenda.
Mr Hutchinson said he wasn't just directing his comments at Sinn Féin, but was anxious to address the issue of policing in terms of collective political and societal responsibility.
He rejected unionist opposition to the current system of 50:50 recruitment which by 2010 - when it is due to end - is expected to see 30 per cent Catholic representation in the PSNI. It is just over 20 per cent currently.
"There is a collective responsibility about policing and unionists also should recognise that the 50:50 recruiting system is beneficial for society," added Mr Hutchinson, a former senior officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
He also made clear that the current political stalemate was hampering the creation of a fully effective, acceptable and accountable police service.
"It remains the case that collective politics has failed policing in Northern Ireland, not the reverse," he said.
Mr Hutchinson said 124 out of the 175 Patten recommendations had been implemented and many of those not fully competed were in train, such as reaching a 30 per cent target for Catholics in the police.
"While challenges still remain, with the exception of the devolution of policing powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolution of authority and decision-making has, generally, been accomplished," he said.
