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Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was formed in 1922 as a result of the partition and replaced the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) in Northern Ireland. Beside the normal law enforcement police activities the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) also was responsible for the protection of Northern Ireland against paramilitary groups. This duality is remarkable and so were their arms: the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the only police force in the United Kingdom with firearms in their daily equipment.
RUC Badge
During the Second World War the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) gained even more tasks. Smuggling goods from the neutral Republic of Ireland into the United Kingdom, hence Northern Ireland, became an interesting money making activity and created a huge workload for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Besides, they had to make sure that the war-time regulations, for example back-out requirements and the protection of key utilities, were observed.
It seems fair to state that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was a police force slash border patrol slash revenue service slash home guard. The combination of all these tasks makes them extremely powerful.
The organisation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was restyled after the deployment of British troops in 1969. This reforming involved among other things the abolishment of the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC), or The Specials, and the hand-over of all military-style duties to the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) and therewith under military command.
This reformed RUC is subject of the song The Impartial Police Force.
B-Specials
The B-Specials were once a division of the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) formed in 1920. The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC) was an auxiliary force made up of three units: the full-time officers (A-Specials), the part-timers used on checkpoints and patrols (B-Specials) and the reservists (C-Specials). The A- and C-Specials were disbanded in 1925, but the B-Specials continued to exist until 1970.
The B-Specials consists entirely of Protestants and were distrusted and feared by Catholics. Together with the Special Powers Act the B-Specials were a thorn in the flesh of the Civil Rights Movement.
The B-Specials were abolished in April 1970.
Some former B-Specials founded the Ulster Special Constabulary Association (USCA). Links between the Ulster Special Constabulary Association (USCA) and Loyalist paramilitary groups are assumed, but not proven.
In 1976 a vigilante corps, mainly made up from former B-Specials, appeared. The main activities of this group, the Ulster Service Corps (USC), not to be confused with the Ulster Special Constabulary (also USC), was raising illegal road blocks and carrying out patrols.
Special Branch
The Special Branch, not to be confused with the special divisions of the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC), was the intelligence service from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and is often described as a force within a force. Every RUC operation regarding paramilitary organisations has to pass the Special Branche.
At the end of the 1970's some members of the Special Branch received an intensive training by the Special Air Service (SAS). These Mobile Support Units (MSU) were modelled after the elite corps of the British army to act with firepower, speed and aggression.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
PSNI Badge
Ensuing from the Good Friday Agreement a commission was established. The main task of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland was to make recommendations about reorganising the Northern Irish police force. The final report, A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland, but better known as the Patten Report after the commission's chairman Chris Patten, was published in 1999 and most recommendations were implemented from 2001 onwards.
One of the recommendations was to establish a Policing Board made up from 19 political and independent members to make the police force accountable to the public. Sinn Féin, also eligible to participate in the Policing Board, refused to take their seats.
The main challenge for the Policing Board was to achieve a representative police force, with the accent on religious background of the officers. To tackle the image problem of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) also some cosmetic changes had to be carried out. The name of the police force was changed in Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and the badge changed from a crowned harp to a Saint Patrick's Cross. Together with an intensive recruitment scheme these efforts are beginning to pay off.
The participation of Catholics in the Northern Irish police force increased from 8% in 1998 to 14% in 2004. Although recruitment of Catholic officers caught up in 2006 it will take some decades until the composition of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reflects the population in which 44% is Catholic (it took the New York Police Department for example 25 years to increase the participation of ethnic minorities from 13% in 1974 to 33% in 1999).
Policing in Northern Ireland was, like decommissioning, one of the last hurdles to take in the peace process. Sinn Féin, initially sceptic after the 1969 reforms, stood severely aloof from the developments until January 2007when a rather unexpected motion of Sinn Féin's leadership to participate, and thus recognise, the policing and justice structures was supported by 95% of the Ard Fheis, or party conference.