Most PSNI members were in the RUC

An interesting find by the Andersonstown News that over half of the PSNI served when the force was known as the RUC.

Through information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, it has been revealed that as of last December, 4,331 former RUC officers, including full and part time personnel, are now on the beat as members of the PSNI, the current strength of which stands at just over 8,000

This rubbishes the constitutional claim that "80% of PSNI officers were not RUC members". That's something that's always spouted by supporters of British forces when they try to fool people (including themselves) into believing that the PSNI has changed.

It recently came to light that a serving PSNI officer would not be investigated for his alleged role in the UVF Loughinisland massacre.


The fact that this officer is still serving in the PSNI is evidence that this unaccountable force is completely unworthy of support. It is just one of many instances where the PSNI has been proven to be culpable in the activities of unionist death squads. Political and sectarian policing remains a reality in the Six Counties, this has been highlighted many times recently by éirígí in the Newry area with the PSNI resorting to tearing down posters erected by the party, a perfect example of their political priorities. The malign influence of PSNI Special Branch, which is still staffed by its RUC veterans, is a worrying issue. In the run up to the policing debates we were told that the “old hands” would be gone, yet many of the RUC detectives who went into early retirement have since been re-employed by the PSNI. The increased involvement of MI5, who themselves have a disgraceful history of aiding and abetting unionist death squads, can only make a bad situation worse.

Indeed there is clear proof that the PSNI continues to collude with unionist death squads, in 2007 a PSNI employee was in court for passing the personal information of 70 nationalists to an alleged senior UVF figure in Antrim. The PSNI employee walked free after receiving a suspended sentence.

People are not fooled by these lies about a "few bad apples". Indeed just this afternoon a close comrade of mine, Mairtin Óg Meehan was severely beaten and arrested by the PSNI in Belfast. The only change in this force is the name and badge.

PSNI cheerleaders don't have to worry about being stopped and searched in front of their kids, getting trailed out of cars at gunpoint, getting accused of being "Terrorists" whilst having assault rifles pointed at them and having their front doors kicked in. That is something that has always happened to Republicans so maybe they should ask themselves why it isn't happening to them?

The "lick of paint" approach we have seen to date will achieve little. Meaningful progress on the issue of policing can only be achieved in the context of a British withdrawal and the establishment of truly democratic policing structures on an island-wide basis

Maybe in future those who left the Republican struggle, and abandoned the working class, should research their statistics before embarrassing themselves.