The Northern Secretary has urged all parties to support a new policing plan for the North. John Reid, described it as a blueprint for positive and fundamental change.
Publishing the policing implementation report agreed by the British and Irish governments, Dr Reid said it was radical and rational. He said that he regretted that some people had already rejected it.
The plan includes concessions to Nationalists such as the phasing out of the full time police reserve and increased powers for the police ombudsman.
It is planned that the full time police reserve will be phased out over the next three years. The part time reserve is to be increased to 2,500.
New recruits are to come from areas which have currently low or no representation in the reserve. Gough interrogation barracks in Armagh is to close by September.
Dr Reid also announced increased powers for the police ombudsman to investigate police activity. The report also puts in place a 50% reduction in Special Branch numbers over the next five years. This will be based on an assessment of the security situation.
The report includes the retention of the use of plastic baton rounds to be decided at the discretion of the Chief Constable and Northern Secretary.
The proposals, which were drawn up by the British and Irish governments, were shown to the North's political parties earlier this month.
Ulster Unionists have insisted that they will not consider the issue of policing without IRA disarmament. And Sinn Féin says that the plan fails to address Republican and Nationalist concerns.
The SDLP is still considering the plan but Sinn Féin has already said that it is inadequate and does not constitute a decisive effort to win Republican support for the new police service.
The Ulster Unionists have said that they will be studying the plan carefully but policing reform cannot be looked at in isolation and would not be considered in the absence of IRA decommissioning.
