20 Years of Dealing with Complaints About the Conduct of Police Officers in Northern Ireland

THE POLICE OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE 20 years of dealing with complaints about the conduct of police officers in Northern Ireland. he Police Ombudsman’s Office is arguably one of the most high-profile public organisations in Northern Ireland. It opened its doors on Monday, November 6 T2000 and in the twenty years which followed has transformed how that community deals with complaints about the conduct of police officers. This booklet provides a brief history of that work, focusing on some of the key personalities and issues involved. For a more complete account of the work of the Office visit its website: www.policeombudsman.org. POLICE OMBUDSMAN FOR NORTHERN IRELAND “There isONE no good reason not to try it.” The Northern Ireland experience in In the United Kingdom, it was That was a time when the dealing with complaints about the also the issue of race which brought community was about to fall into conduct of police officers is part of recent challenges for police and what was to become decades of a wider discussion stretching across police accountability. The inner-city bloody unrest, which would cost centuries and countries. riots in the Brixton area of London more than 3,000 lives, many more in 1981 led to the Scarman Report injuries and deepening political The first non-police body to hold and changes to the way police were division. The Royal Ulster officers to account was believed Constabulary found itself part held to account. But by 1999 the to have been formed in New York of and having to police a sharply Macpherson Report had accused around 170 years ago. divided society. the Metropolitan Police of Public concern about policing has institutional racism in its handling In 1977, a Police Complaints Board been a recurring theme in the United of the murder of black teenager for Northern Ireland was established. States. In the late 1950s and the 1960s Stephen Lawrence six years earlier. While the body brought about the need for police accountability some change in process, the actual came to the fore as a result of events in It was community division investigation of police remained in the the protests against the Vietnam War of a different sort which drove hands of the police. The Board itself and those in support of civil rights. changes in Northern Ireland. acknowledged in 1981 that public Decades later and the police beating The Hunt Report in 1969 had confidence in the system was lacking, of Rodney King in Los Angles and the found the procedures for dealing with suspicion ‘about the ability death of George Floyd in Minneapolis with complaints about police of the police to conduct investigations kept the issue centre stage. were ineffective. into themselves.’ 2 20 years of dealing with complaints about the conduct of police officers in Northern Ireland. In 1985, the Board was abolished In March 1988, UK Minister of and replaced with the Independent State Adam Ingram said the Police Commission for Police Complaints. (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 It was given the power to supervise would contain provisions on police the police investigation of complaints complaints which would give effect against the police, an authority which to “a new radical system in Northern few similar bodies internationally had. Ireland by the establishment of an independent Police Ombudsman.” Northern Ireland remained a society riven apart and the police complaints It was to be a time of change for system found itself having to address policing too. The Good Friday/ issues ranging from allegations of ill Belfast Agreement had made treatment at police ‘holding centres’ provision for the establishment of an to those of police officers operating independent commission to make a policy of ‘shoot to kill.’ recommendations for future policing In 1995, the Government appointed arrangements in Northern Ireland. Public confidence in the new police senior civil servant Dr Maurice Hayes The Independent Commission on complaints system became an increasing to conduct an independent review Policing for Northern Ireland (the issue. In 1990, the lobby group the of the police complaints system in Patten Commission) saw the Police Committee for the Administration of Northern Ireland. Ombudsman's Office as an important Justice published a pamphlet in which institution in the governance of Dr Hayes reported in 1997 and it said some complainants believed the Northern Ireland and fleshed out its Commission to be ‘the same old book made a series of recommendations, role in areas such as own initiative under a new cover.’ It argued for an the main one being the appointment investigations and commentary on independent body to take over the of a Police Ombudsman with his/ police policies and practices. role and concluded its document her own investigative staff to deal by saying: “There is simply no good with all public complaints about reason not to try it.” the police. 3 POLICE OMBUDSMAN FOR NORTHERN IRELAND “I was determinedTWO to avoid those pitfalls.” UK Minister of State Adam Ingram That challenge was formidable: called the proposal to create a Police she had to ensure the Office had Ombudsman system in Northern all the necessary legislation in place, Ireland a ‘radical’ idea. to recruit and train staff and all the while find and equip premises from One of the immediate tasks of which the new system would operate. government was to set about finding someone to become “Before taking up the post I had Northern Ireland’s first Police read widely on the issue of Ombudsman, someone who would independent police accountability. transform a radical idea into a Those systems which failed did so practical, working reality. either because of a lack of resources or expertise. The person it appointed was to prove pivotal to the course of the a member of the Police Authority in I was determined to avoid these Government’s ‘radical idea.’ Northern Ireland and for many years pitfalls. I put a lot of effort into had been a ‘lay visitor’ at many of its seeking to ensure we had the funds Nuala O’Loan was a solicitor, who police stations. needed to do the job properly. had been a lecturer in European Law My argument was that the cost at the University of Ulster. She had Along with an implementation team of properly investing in this new never been a police officer, but had from the Government’s Northern complaints system would be far shown a commitment to the values of Ireland Office, she set about the task of outweighed by the cost of not police accountability, having served as creating a Police Ombudsman’s Office. doing so. 4 20 years of dealing with complaints about the conduct of police officers in Northern Ireland. experienced investigators from locations across the world including the United States, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. Mrs O’Loan and the team from the Northern Ireland Office also set about recruiting the other staff they would need across a range of specialisms including people with experience I also needed people who understood us he had led a national approach in handling finance, Information policing, had practical experience of the tackling serious corruption within Technology, personnel and all the day-to-day issues police officers have to policing. His credentials both as an other corporate functions of a modern, deal with, who understood the context experienced police officer and someone accountable public sector body. in which they have to operate, but at willing to challenge fellow officers the same time were also able to exercise where necessary was unquestioned,” They also set about finding a premises independent judgement. recalled Mrs, now Baroness, O’Loan. in a neutral part of what was still in some ways a divided Belfast. They My first piece of really good David brought with him to the Police found such a building in the centre fortune was when Deputy Assistant Ombudsman’s Office a small team of the city opposite Saint Anne’s Commissioner David Wood (above of handpicked police officers on Cathedral. right) agreed to lead my complaints secondment from the Metropolitan handling and investigative unit. At Police Service. On Friday, November 3, 2000, Adam that stage David had almost 30 years’ Ingram MP, the man who two years experience with the Metropolitan As Executive Director of Investigations, earlier had talked about this radical Police Service, much of it focused together he and Mrs O’Loan set new idea, officially opened the premises on operational roles leading teams of about recruiting their complaints of the Office of Police Ombudsman detectives. In the years before joining and investigation staff, attracting for Northern Ireland. 5 POLICE OMBUDSMAN FOR NORTHERN IRELAND “I wasTHREE going to have to demonstrate it.” The Police Ombudsman’s Office stewardship within an independent opened its doors to the public investigative organisation on 6 November 2000. Mr Pollock’s experience in this area While Mrs O’Loan and her small was to prove far more significant than team had put in place many of the anyone realised at the time. people and systems needed to start a new chapter in police accountability With her top team now in place, for Northern Ireland, much remained Mrs O’Loan set about turning that to be done. ‘radical idea’ into a reality. “For the Police Ombudsman system to Among the more immediate issues was I needed someone in the role of Chief work, the public had to be aware of us, the appointment of an Accounting Executive who had the experience know how we were wholly different Officer: and was committed to running a completely independent office from what had gone before, and know “The public, through the Government, within the constraints of proper how to use our service.

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