The RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, has again indicated that he will resign his position if the Patten proposals, to reduce the size of the force, are introduced ahead of his approval of a suitable security situation in Northern Ireland.
"If my advice to the government was to be ignored, and I think it's inconceivable it would be ignored, then of course I would resign and I would publicly state why I was resigning," he said. On Thursday Sir Ronnie said he could not be part of reducing the number of police jobs in the face of a threat from paramilitaries.
He addressed the Young Ulster Unionist conference in Bangor, Co Down, on Saturday. Afterwards he said decommissioning would have a bearing on the speed of implementation of the Patten report.
"Decommissioning would certainly be a very important factor in determining whether we can begin to make implementation of those particular recommendations and, if we get to a position where we would begin, at what pace implementation would proceed, " he said. He had no security intelligence indicating the Provisional IRA was about to decommission, but that was not to rule out the possibility of an arms handover.
Commenting on the launch of a "Defend the RUC" campaign by anti-agreement unionists, he said what the public had to say was of crucial importance. He stressed the "distress and hurt" that would be caused to officers if the title and the crest of the force were changed, as contained in the Patten recommendations.
"I think therefore that it shouldn't be contemplated unless the great gain that Patten envisaged is demonstrably achievable," Sir Ronnie added. "My force stands ready for change. My question is, are all those communities that we exist to serve standing similarly ready for that change?"
Sir Ronnie again warned of the threat posed by dissident republicans.
He said the greatest care must be taken not to allow the RUC's capability to drop when dissident paramilitaries were increasing theirs. "I need every officer that I have, in order to protect the public. In the present circumstances I couldn't contemplate providing that service with significantly reduced numbers."