PSNI 25th anniversary: It was built on proud legacy of RUC, says Judith Gillespie

It was however a period in policing across these islands where women were treated very differently to men. To start with, women in the RUC were not armed until 1994, and did not even carry a baton, despite female officers being subject to the same risks and, in some cases, being murdered alongside their male colleagues.

Archaic rules applied, such as having to apply for permission to wear trousers in uniform, and we were only allowed to do so between 1 October and 31 March, on night duty.

The ‘PW’ in front of our police number made it clear that we were designated differently, reinforced by being placed at the bottom of the station duty sheet list, regardless of our seniority.

In the 1980s, whilst a few women enjoyed successful careers within CID and specialist Units, many were channelled into stereotypical roles including Women Police Units, later CARE (Child Abuse and Rape Enquiry) Units and Juvenile Liaison. It was not that these roles were any easier – far from it.

There was however a patriarchal attitude that women were of limited use and needed protected. This culture was reinforced to me when, as Deputy Chief Constable, I was invited to speak at a large women’s event in my home town.

After my presentation a woman approached me from the audience, introducing herself as the widow of an RUC senior officer who had retired in the 1990s, but had often said to her that he thought policewomen were ‘a liability’.

As I reflect on this attitude, I am reminded that the current challenge of addressing violence against women and girls not only requires changes within policing but also a whole of society effort to understand, acknowledge and address underlying misogynistic cultures.

None of the family friendly policies currently in operation within PSNI was introduced in time for my own family, and I know my husband (then a serving officer) and I were under considerable pressure working opposite shifts when our children were very young.

That is even apart from the constant threat under which we all lived, both on and off duty. No accommodation whatsoever was made for women returning to work after maternity leave. Indeed I recall, as a young Inspector in the mid 1990s, drafting the letter which the then Deputy Chief Constable Ken Masterson signed, asking the Northern Ireland Office to consider part-time working regulations for RUC officers, akin to those introduced at that time for Civil Servants.

It was a tough environment for everyone, but especially so for women. In the late 1970s and early 1980s there was a conscious policy to recruit fewer women, (I was turned down twice on initial application) and so women were inevitably in the minority.

This was not unique to the RUC, but that recruitment policy also had a long tail when it came to gender balance through the ranks of the organisation in the 1990s and 2000s.

In my own recruit Squad which passed out of Enniskillen in April 1982 there were 86 men and 4 women. It is an indication of the culture and demanding working conditions that of those 4 women, only one remained in the organisation beyond early service. That, by any standard, is very poor retention.

Wherever I worked, I witnessed many acts of outstanding courage, compassion and professionalism in the face of extreme pressure. And, as with any large organisation I also, on occasions, experienced less than acceptable behaviour from officers and staff at different levels.

I had the privilege of serving in RUC Headquarters in the 1990s and I witnessed the growing acceptance that not only did the organisation itself have to change, but that the policing accountability architecture needed considerably strengthened to increase public confidence.

I recall the outstanding, emotionally intelligent leadership of Sir Ronnie Flanagan at the time of transition and there is little doubt that he was the right leader in the right place at the right time to lead the organisation through this, at times very painful, change.

There was a sense of optimism with the lower threat policing environment, tempered by regret and indeed hurt within the wider RUC family that the name and symbols of the RUC were to be replaced.

I was Head of Drugs Squad when the PSNI was established. I remember being asked to speak at one of the Policing Board’s first Human Rights Conferences around 2001, just months after the Human Rights Act 1998 had been introduced.

As a young Superintendent, it was what could loosely be described as a ‘career defining moment’ but I had a strong sense that the Human Rights Act, and the other accompanying legislation including the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, could only benefit effective policing.

The Patten severance programme accelerated the departure of many older and highly experienced officers at all ranks, and whilst it left a significant gap in investigative and intelligence capacity, it afforded younger officers like me an opportunity for promotion which probably wouldn’t have otherwise presented itself.

As a member of the Command Team of PSNI it was a privilege to help

lead the organisation through seismic change, and as a woman it was a particular privilege and responsibility to be the first to achieve Chief Officer rank.

Part of my responsibility as an Assistant Chief Constable was to oversee the conclusion of Operation Banner and the withdrawal of military structures such as watchtowers and army escorts to police patrols, which had formed a routine part of my early police career.

Whilst they would never have sought it, the particular courage of those police officers who continued to deliver a police service in areas where army cover was withdrawn, whilst a significant threat prevailed, deserves appropriate recognition.

It is a fundamental principle of public confidence that policing has to reflect the community it serves, in every respect, and I know that PSNI continues to hold to this objective.

The crowded oversight environment was challenging, and the public meetings of the Policing Board were never comfortable (I sat through over 100 of them in my time as a Chief Officer!).

But I worked with Chief Constables who appreciated the benefit of visible accountability in building public confidence, and whilst there were many healthy tensions, they worked with the grain of the accountability architecture to achieve better policing outcomes.

The strapline of the NI Retired Police Officers’ Association is ‘a legacy to be proud of’. As I look back, I wish I could say that the threat environment has changed completely, but sadly that has not been the case, with PSNI paying its own tragic price for keeping communities safe.

However, the PSNI has built on the proud legacy of the RUC, moving policing into a new chapter with new challenges and new opportunities. Whilst old divisions are never far below the surface, and many legacy investigations remain unresolved, a more peaceful environment has allowed Northern Ireland to become much more diverse, and to host major international events attracting new tourism and investment, which could never have been envisaged in my early police career.

The key issue looking forward will be resourcing and equipping the organisation to face the complexity of the challenges ahead, and continuing to build on the momentum of community confidence across all communities in Northern Ireland, in order to achieve the New Beginning that Northern Ireland deserves.

• Judith Gillespie was the Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI between 2009 and 2014