Security sources in Northern Ireland have admitted that many RUC officers are planning to ignore the Chief Constable's plan to donate one hour's pay from this month's salary to the fund set up for the families of the New York Police Department officers killed in the World Trade Centre disaster last month.
It appears that many RUC men and women are unhappy that strong US pressure is forcing through the new police reforms in Northern Ireland and the fact that Mr Tom Constantine, who has been brought in to oversee the reforms by the British Government, is a former Chief of the NYPD.
An RUC source said: "Some officers have not forgotten that an NYPD band has played at the hunger strike commemorations in Co Donegal on an annual basis". The police federation who gave its official backing to the plan admitted that it is aware that some officers were opposed to it.