Ulster policing enters new era
A NEW era for Ulster policing begins this morning as the 50:50 ‘positive discrimination’ comes to an end – but Protestants previously rejected on the grounds of religion will see their hopes tempered by news of a recruitment freeze.
Unionists have welcomed an end to the controversial 50:50 policy, with one DUP politician calling on Protestants to re-apply in numbers when recruiting resumes, and the Alliance Party also saying it was unhelpful.
Alliance MLA Stephen Farry described a decade of 50:50 recruitment as a “source of deep grievances”.
A News Letter investigation last year found that almost 1,000 Protestants who reached the required entry standard had been rejected by the PSNI. During the same period (up until January 2010) not a single Catholic who passed the selection tests was turned away.
Following a decade of the Patten report-recommended initiative, which ensured that Catholic and non-Catholic officers were recruited in equal number, a major review is under way to find a suitable replacement model.
The 50:50 scheme has seen the percentage of Catholics rise from just eight per cent in 1999 to almost 30 per cent at present.
In contrast to the unionist welcome for the end of 50:50, several nationalist politicians claim the process should have been continued until a target of at least 40 per cent Catholic representation was reached.
Police recruitment is now at a temporary halt with a PSNI spokeswoman saying the whole process will be subject to “a review against value for money initiatives”.
The spokeswoman said it would include “an appraisal of pre-entry criteria” but would most likely still comprise an assessment, medical, vetting, and substance misuse testing stages, prior to offers of appointment based on merit.
Commenting on the plight of those who have already completed the current selection process, she said: “The police service still holds a list of suitable candidates from the last recruitment process in 2010, but there are no plans to make further appointments from this list after the temporary provisions are withdrawn at the end of this month (March).”
DUP Policing Board member Jonathan Bell welcomed the end of 50:50, saying: “State sponsored sectarian discrimination was unjustified when it began and the ending of this unjustifiable practice is a positive move for policing.
“Many of our young men and women bear the scars of having proven themselves worthy and achieved their place in the merit pool but received their rejection letter because they hung their hat in a Protestant church on a Sunday morning.”
Mr Bell added: I urge them to re-apply.
“We need their skills and expertise. Today the gates of fairness have been opened up. Today is a good day for the merit principle.”
Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott also welcomed the end of what he called the “deliberate bias” of 50:50 selection.
“Nowhere else in the democratic world would have tolerated such discrimination for so long and I’m glad that the provisions have finally ended and the principle of merit restored,” Mr Elliott said.
“Our party was incredibly disappointed when the last Labour government decided to extend the provisions for a further year and we are glad the current administration has the common sense to see that these measures can no longer be justified.”
Alliance justice spokesperson Stephen Farry described the current process as a “source of deep grievances”.
Mr Farry said his party favoured other means to ensure balanced representation and added: “Alliance is committed to a professional and representative police service. 50:50 recruitment was never the best method to ensure this.
“It was a departure from the merit principle, and became a source of deep grievances.
“It was itself a blunt instrument that worked against the interests of women and members of ethnic minorities, and would never assure genuine balance right across the community.”
However, the SDLP’s policing spokesman said the secretary of state was “making a serious error” by ending the controversial scheme.
Dominic Bradley said: “The Patten report did not put any limit to the length of time that 50:50 recruitment should last and regarded 30 per cent as a floor, not a ceiling. We believe it should continue until we have a fully representative police service here.
“The SDLP believes that the percentage of Catholics in the PSNI should be between 40 and 44 per cent.”
Sinn Fein policing board member Alex Maskey said there was a “continued need” for the PSNI to be truly reflective of the broader community and added: “Twenty nine per cent representation of those from a Catholic background is not a satisfactory reflection.”
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
