Agreement Reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations - Transitional ...

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Promotion: Within the Police Service, females are under represented at all ranks, in particular at command level. This is not surprising given the low number of females recruited in the past. Reasons identified are reticence, career gaps, and motivation. The report recommends an analysis to establish if there is a significant disparity between the length of service of male applicants and female applicants for promotion and between the success rates of the respective genders and a quantitative and qualitative study of female officers to investigate attitudes towards promotion, obstacles against going for promotion and factors considered prior to opting to apply for promotion. Retention: It is recommended that managers/commanders look favourably on requests for more flexible and variable work patterns; that work/life balance enquiries are given due consideration and attempts made to facilitate such requests wherever possible- all requests should by copied to the Equality/Diversity Unit. Resolution/Industrial Tribunal: It is recommended that all staff attend harassment/bullying training and receive and acknowledge receipt of the Grievance Procedure and Harassment and Bullying policy. Networking: Whilst each recommendation is specifically addressing a single issue the overall objective is to create a culture that tackles any underlying or unintentional bias against female officers. It is therefore recommended that that an overarching action should be to establish greater opportunities for internal/external networking for female officers thus enabling them to establish alternative frames of reference, which will enhance their ability to adopt a different perspective and contribute to organisational change. Recommendations – mentoring scheme; awareness raising; seminars; workshops; meeting to assess interest within Criminal Justice sector of feasibility of establishing a women’s network within the Criminal Justice field. Civilians: Civilians form 31.6% of permanent PSNI workforce; females are 67.4%. Whilst making up the majority, a greater percentage of females are employed in the lower grades of staff. It is recommended that gender issues are given significant consideration as the Police Service continues to examine opportunities to have all staff recognised as direct recruits by 2010. This requires a significant mindset shift for the organisation. An implementation group will continue to meet on a regular basis to ensure that all actions are being implemented. 9.8.6 PSNI and Domestic Violence Policing Plan 2003-2006: ‘To report the number of domestic violence offences and develop a strategy for monitoring the disposal of incidents’. In 2004 the number of incidents reported were 16, 926 compared to 15,512 the year before – an increase of 9.1%. Domestic violence offences rose from 7,961 to 8,565 in 2003-04, an increase of 7.6%. 306 ‘PSNI has developed a strategy to monitor the disposal of domestic violence incidents.’ 307 Compare these figures with Women’s Aid statistics for 2002-2003: 17,580 calls to Helpline for advice on domestic violence. 989 women and 1,112 children were accommodated in Women’s Aid refuges. The number of women that used local outreach centres was 4,451 and six women were killed as a result of domestic violence. 306 Northern Ireland Policing Board Annual Report 2004 307 Ibid. 67
9.8.7 PSNI and Equity Monitoring overall equity of treatment by PSNI is 72% (against a target of 75%) 308 9.9 District Policing Partnerships The District Policing Partnership Boards of the Patten Commission became District Policing Parnterships (DPPs). 309 The Policing Board appointed 207 independent members: 108 Catholics and 99 non-Catholics to serve alongside the 241 elected members of the DPPs, enabling 25 DPPs to be established. 310 Out of the 207 independent members, 127 were women. 311 DPPs are responsible for determining, through local consultation, community needs and policing priorities and for monitoring police effectiveness. Each DPP must make arrangement to obtain the views of the public concerning the policing of the district. 312 9.9.1 Relationship between District Policing Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) The Criminal Justice Review stated that the CSPs should replace DPPs and were to be monitored by a newly created governmental body within the Northern Ireland Office called the Community Safety Unit. The Criminal Justice Review adopted many of the recommendations that the Patten Commission had made for the DPPs. 313 However, instead ‘of the concept of the DPP and the CSP being effectively integrated as apparently initially envisaged, there now appear to be two quite distinct and separate structures established across all District Councils which have policing as a central component of their work.’ 314 ‘CSPs are led and effectively funded by the Northern Ireland Office, whereas the DPPs are independent of any institutional link to government,’ 315 perhaps revealing a reluctance by the NIO to cede control as envisaged by Patten. 9.9.2 District Policing Partnerships and Women The DPPs can potentially affect women. As members they can be involved in decisions around local policing and raise issues of concern. One example is Strabane DPP which in August 2004 saw an increase in the number of incidents of domestic violence reported to the police in Strabane District Command Unit. Following consultation with the community and Foyle Woman’s Aid, Strabane DPP put forward a recommendation that the PSNI grade domestic violence as a ‘priority crime’ in the district. This was adopted in the area’s policing plan for 2004-2005. Strabane DPP have undertaken to monitor police performance by requesting reports on the number of reported incidents of domestic violence, the number of incidents the PSNI attended, the number of arrests and the number of repeat offences at their meetings in public. Foyle Woman’s Aid has provided training on raising awareness for police staff. 316 308 Northern Ireland Policing Board Annual Report 2004 309 Current members of DPPs will serve until the next local government elections in 2005 310 Northern Ireland Policing Board Annual Report 2004 311 Policing Board Press Release, New era for local policing – Policing Board announces DPP appointments, 4 March 2003 312 Northern Ireland Policing Board Annual Report 2004 313 Patten recommendations 196 and 204 314 CAJ Commentary on Policing Board November 2003 315 Ibid. 316 Strabane DPP news release 16/8/04 68
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Women and the Implementation of the
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5.5 Women Victims Post the Good Fri
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Women’s Rights in Transitioning a
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language of the Agreement) this was
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An overall assessment of the succes
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1. RESEARCH 1.1 Sources Primary doc
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2. MAIN FINDINGS The main findings
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3. THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT In 199
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ecent history of communal conflict
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4. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN PUBLIC
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Ad Hoc Committee - Life Sentences (
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4.7.2 Northern Ireland Office Publi
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Page 31 and 32: Northern Ireland Act 1998 67 and wi
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Page 83 and 84: REFERENCES Bell, C. (2003) PEACE AG
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Page 87 and 88: ____ (2003) ‘New Era for Local Po
Page 89: ____ (2003) Peace Agreements As A M
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