Police downsizing and change processes in Northern Ireland: Retired police officers' views on the implementation of the Patten Report on Policing

Abstract

The “Peace Process” in Northern Ireland culminated in the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) on 10th April 1998. Since that time there has been much academic research undertaken on how the various communities, factions, and groupings in Northern Ireland have adjusted to the changes that occurred following that historic agreement. However, little research had been conducted on how the police officers in Northern Ireland felt regarding the changes that occurred in their organization as a consequence of the Peace Process. Over a decade has now passed since the publication and implementation of the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland (more commonly known as the Patten Report) which brought about major changes to the organization responsible for policing Northern Ireland. The present study explores the effects that this implementation had on the men and women of the Police Service in Northern Ireland. The results, based on a sample of 232 retired officers showed that whilst the majority of respondents did not agree that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was in need of reform; over a third actually felt it was. Two thirds of the respondents indicated that the implementation of the Patten Report had an effect on their health and well-being. For some the whole process was viewed in a negative light, for some it was seen as a positive occurrence. The results of the study are then discussed in the light of previous research into police reform.