Northern Ireland Policing Board

50:50

Under legislation the Chief Constable is required to offer appointments in accordance with Section 46 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 so that an even number of persons of whom –‘one half shall be persons who are treated as Roman Catholic; and one half shall be persons who are not so treated’ shall be drawn from the pool of merit.  Subject to candidates being passed fit the details of candidates in the pool of merit are passed to the Police Service of Northern Ireland who will make appointments from the pool on a 50:50 basis. E.g. In a recruitment campaign where there are 16 vacancies, appointments will be offered to 8 Roman Catholics and 8 Non- Roman Catholics.

Patten Report

The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland was established in 1998 as part of the Belfast Agreement, intended as a major step in the Northern Ireland peace process. Chaired by Conservative politician Chris Patten, it was better known as the Patten Commission.  

On September 9 1999 the Commission produced its report, entitled A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland popularly known as the Patten Report, which contained 175 symbolic and practical recommendations. Key recommendations included:

• replacement of the ·Royal Ulster Constabulary by the ·Police Service of Northern Ireland;
• a new ·Policing Board and District Policing Partnership Boards to ensure accountability;
• creation of a ·Police Ombudsman and a Complaints Tribunal;
• removal of most visible symbols of ·Britishness from the police service;
• a 50:50 recruitment policy for ·Catholics and ·Protestants;
• a new code of ethics and oath of office, including a strong emphasis on ·human rights;
• an emphasis on community policing and normalisation;
• proposals for training, community liaison, cooperation with other police services, and recruitment from outside Northern Ireland; and
• repeal by the Gaelic Athletic Association of its rule 21, which prohibited members of the police or ·British army in Northern Ireland from being members of the Association.

Section 75

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998) requires public authorities carrying out their functions relating to Northern Ireland to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity:

• between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital  status or sexual orientation;
• between men and women generally;
• between persons with a disability and persons without; and
• between persons with dependants and persons without.

In addition, without prejudice to the above obligations, a public authority must also, in carrying out its functions relating to Northern Ireland, have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or race.

TASER

A TASER is any member of a family of the most commercially recognized brand of electroshock guns.  It is an incapacitant weapon used for subduing a person by firing something which administers electric shock, disrupting superficial muscle functions.  Modern TASER-type weapons fire small dart-like electrodes with attached metal wires that connect to the gun, propelled by small gas charges

CS Spray

CS incapacitant spray is used as a temporary incapacitant, to subdue attackers, or persons who are violently aggressive, by many police forces.  CS was discovered by two Americans, Ben Carson and Roger Staughton in 1928 - the first letters of the scientists' surnames giving us the name of the substance, "CS"