Policing Under Fire: Ethnic Conflict and Police-Community Relations in Northern Ireland

372 Pages·1994·12.732 MB·English

by  Ronald Weitzer

Brunei
THE UNIVERSITY of WEST LONDON
Library
POLICING UNDER FIRE
SUNY Series in New Directions in Crime and Justice Studies
Austin T. Turk, Editor
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POLICING
UNDER FIRE
Ethnic Conflict and
Police-Community Relations
in Northern Ireland
RONALD WEITZER
State University
of New York
Press
Published by .5
State University of New York Press, Albany
A3W4-5
© 1995 State University of New York
^u*/ve*
All rights reserved
Production by Susan Geraghty SEP 1995 ^
Marketing by Nancy Farrell
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electro¬
static, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise with¬
out the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, address State University of New York Press,
State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y., 12246
Cover photo: Joint police-military foot patrol, courtesy of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Weitzer, Ronald, 1952-
Policing under fire : ethnic conflict and police-community
relations in Northern Ireland / Ronald Weitzer.
p. cm. — (SUNY series in new directions in crime and justice
studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-2247->p (hard : alk. paper). — ISBN 0-7914-2248-8
(pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Public relations—Police—Northern Ireland. 2. Royal Ulster
Constabulary—Public relations. 3. Police—Northern Ireland.
I. Title. II. Series: SUNY series in new directions in crime and
justice studies.
HV8197.5.A3W45 1995
363.2’09416—dc20 94-816
CIP
CONTENTS
Tables vii
Abbreviations ix
Map of Northern Ireland xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter 1 Policing Ethnically Divided Societies 1
PART 1 FROM PROTESTANT TO BRITISH RULE
Chapter 2 Protestant Policing: 1922-1968 27
Chapter 3 Reforming the RUC 59
PART 2: CORE PROBLEMS IN
POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Chapter 4 Police Legitimacy and Professionalism 83
Chapter 5 Dual Policing: Fighting Crime and Insurgency 127
Chapter 6 Police Accountability 175
PART 3: IMPROVING POLICE-COMMUNITY
RELATIONS
Chapter 7 Community Policing in the Shadows 227
Chapter 8 Conclusion 279
Endnotes 297
Appendix: Community Interviewees 335
Index 337
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TABLES
Table 3.1 Expenditure on Police 73
Table 3.2 RUC Casualties, 1969-1991 76
Table 4.1 General Attitudes on Policing 85
Table 4.2 Attitudes on Police Impartiality 86
Table 4.3 Attitudes on Policing by Political Party
Affiliation 88-89
Table 5.1 Terrorist Incidents and Charges 134-135
Table 5.2 Attitudes Related to Security Policing by
Religion 136-137
Table 5.3 Attitudes Related to Security Policing by
Political Party Affiliation 139
Table 6.1 Complaints Against the Police 192-193
Table 6.2 Most Frequent Complaints 196-197
Table 6.3 RUC Officers Prosecuted for Assault 209
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