[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 123 (Thursday, October 5, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9935-S9936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   POLICE REFORM IN NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, yesterday, an op-ed on police reform in 
Northern Ireland written by my friend and colleague Senator Kennedy 
appeared in the Washington Post. In that op-ed Senator Kennedy very 
concisely and eloquently stated why it is so important that meaningful 
police reform happens in Northern Ireland. As all of our colleagues 
know full well, Senator Kennedy has worked tirelessly to promote peace 
and reconciliation in Northern Ireland for many years. It has been an 
honor to work closely with him in that effort and I commend him for his 
leadership on this issue. Needless to say I agree completely with him 
that the recommendations of the Patten Commission must be fully 
implemented, to ensure a genuine new beginning for a police force in 
Northern Ireland that will be acceptable to the Catholic community.
  I hope and pray that those who are currently playing a role in the 
legislative process in the British Parliament take time to reflect upon 
the thoughts expressed in this very important op-ed. I would ask 
unanimous consent that a copy of Senator Kennedy's article be printed 
in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks. I would urge all of our 
colleagues to take a moment to read it when they have the opportunity 
to do so.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Washington Post, Oct. 4, 2000]

                     A Police For All in N. Ireland

                         (By Edward M. Kennedy)

       This month Britain's House of Lords will have the 
     opportunity to improve the flawed legislation approved by the 
     House of Commons in July to reform the police force in 
     Northern Ireland and give it the support and respect it needs 
     from the Catholic community.

[[Page S9936]]

       The case for reform is clear. The current force--the Royal 
     Ulster Constabulary (RUC)--is 93 percent Protestant. The vast 
     majority of Catholics, who make up more than 40 percent of 
     the population in Northern Ireland, do not support it because 
     it does not represent them or protect them and has too often 
     failed them.
       Many Catholics believe the RUC has been involved in a long-
     standing ``shoot-to-kill'' policy. Questions continue about 
     collusion of the RUC with Protestant paramilitaries in the 
     murder of Patrick Finucane, a defense attorney shot dead in 
     front of his wife and children in 1989. In 1997 RUC officers 
     stood by as Robert Hamill, a young Catholic, was kicked to 
     death by 30 Protestants shouting ``kill him'' and ethnic 
     slurs. The RUC was shamefully inactive when death threats 
     were made against another defense attorney, Rosemary Nelson, 
     who was later murdered when her car was blown up as she drove 
     to work last year. Many other examples could be cited to 
     demonstrate why Catholics distrust the police.
       Northern Ireland's 1998 Good Friday agreement presented a 
     historic opportunity to change all that--to reform the police 
     service and make it representative of the entire community. 
     Under the agreement, an independent eight-member 
     international commission was established, led by a former 
     chairman of the British Conservative Party, Christopher 
     Patten. Its mission was to propose an alternative and create 
     a community-oriented, human rights-based police service that 
     Catholics and Protestants alike would be prepared to join. In 
     September 1999, the Patten Commission published its unanimous 
     report containing 175 recommendations for change.
       The assertion has been made that in the current 
     legislation, the British government will implement 95 percent 
     of the Patten's recommendations. But quantity does not 
     measure quality. In fact, the most significant reforms 
     recommended by the commission are not adequately implemented 
     in the legislation.
       The commission's task was to balance the desires of each 
     community against what is necessary to create a fair and 
     representative police force. The recommendations of the 
     Patten Commission reflected those compromises. Patten is the 
     compromise. It must not be diluted.
       Unfortunately, the British government has done just that. 
     It has made unwise concessions to those of the Protestant 
     majority who still view the police as ``theirs,'' and to the 
     police themselves, who have always resisted reform. If the 
     new police service is to succeed, it must represent and be 
     accepted by the community it serves. Catholics must be 
     convinced they should support and join it. Otherwise, the 
     entire Good Friday agreement is in jeopardy.
       As the legislation is considered by the House of Lords, the 
     British government should propose changes to implement fully 
     the Patten recommendations. Among the most obvious:
       Name, badge and flag: As Patten recommended, to attract 
     Catholics, the police force should have a neutral name and 
     symbols. The legislation should ensure that the proposed name 
     change to the neutral ``Police Service of Northern Ireland'' 
     is made for all purposes, not just some purposes. The badge 
     should be free of any association with Great Britain or 
     Ireland, and the British flag should no longer fly above 
     police buildings.
       Oversight Commissioner: Patten recommended the appointment 
     of an oversight commissioner to supervise the implementation 
     of its recommendations. Thomas Constantine, former New York 
     State police chief and former head of the U.S. Drug 
     Enforcement Administration, was recently named oversight 
     commissioner. He should be free to comment on the adequacy of 
     British decisions in implementing the Patten Report--not just 
     oversee the changes made by the government.
       Accountability: Patten recommended a new policing board to 
     hold the police accountable and an ombudsman to investigate 
     complaints against and wrongdoing by the police. Restrictions 
     on the board's power to initiate inquiries and investigate 
     past complaints should be eliminated, as should the British 
     government's power to interfere in its work. The ombudsman 
     should be able to investigate police policies and practices--
     not just report on them.
       On June 15 British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
     Peter Mandelson wrote, ``I remain absolutely determined to 
     implement the Patten recommendations and to achieve the 
     effective and representative policing service--accepted in 
     every part of Northern Ireland--that his report aims to 
     secure.'' This determination has yet to be convincingly 
     demonstrated.
       Full implementation of the recommendations of the Patten 
     Commission is essential to guarantee fair law enforcement and 
     to create a new police service that will have and deserve the 
     trust of all the people of Northern Ireland. It will be a 
     tragedy if this opportunity to achieve a new beginning is 
     lost.
       The writer is a Democratic senator from Massachusetts.

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