The Sinn Féin Vice President, Pat Doherty, has accused what he's described as sources in the Taoiseach's office of putting the blame on Republicans for the failure to break the deadlock in the peace process over policing, disarmament and demilitarisation. According to Mr Doherty, "It is well known that Sinn Fein have been in discussion for some time with both governments on the policing issue. In recent days there have been briefings coming from Dublin government sources trying to fix the blame on Sinn Fein for no agreement on policing. This is dishonest and untrue."
Mr Doherty has criticised the launch of a £750,000 advertising campaign to attract recruits to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland, arguing that the RUC Chief Constable is acting illegally as Sinn Féin and SDLP have not yet nominated members to the policing board. However, these claims were dismissed as "absolute nonsense," by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, who said that his actions were absolutely in line with the Patten recommendations.
The RUC Chief Constable said that policing should be dealt with separately from other stumbling blocks in the peace process. He said that there was an urgent need to increase the number of police officers and this meant he could not wait any longer. The force is beginning a recruitment drive today. However, the SDLP and Sinn Féin have, so far, refused to endorse the service.
The advertising campaign will lead to almost 250 people being selected for training from September. Trainees, aged 18 to 52 in September, will be selected by an independent recruitment agency, which has opened an office in Belfast City Centre.
The Consensia Partnership was appointed by the British government in January with the remit of picking a pool of suitable recruits, with vetting process and the final selection on a 50/50 Catholic and Protestant basis to be implemented by the Chief Constable. The recruits will enter the training college at Garnerville in East Belfast, emerging 29 weeks later to spend five weeks shadowing an experienced officer before starting duty.
When they go into the college they will be given a starting salary of £17,133, which, on successful completion of training, will rise to £19,170. After two years service on probation pay will rise to £20,304. The new officers will wear a uniform different to that of the RUC and bearing different emblems. As yet neither has been decided on. By April the first 500 officers will have left the RUC under the first phase of severance arrangements.
Another 750 are expected to follow within the next year. Currently, it is planned that the RUC name change will take place in September to coincide with the first new recruits entering training. At the same time the new police badge and flag are set to be introduced - but that is the responsibility of the Police Board which is not yet in place.
