11293 report 19 - CAIN - University of Ulster

policing in a peaceful societyRecommendation 57: Police Vehicles57. The word ‘Police’ should be painted onto the sides of all Landrovers.Lead Responsibility: Chief Constable/Policing BoardRecommendation StatusCompliance with this recommendation has been achieved.HistoryIn September of 2002 the Police Service provided written documentation that the word “Police”had been painted on all of its ALRs, to make them less forbidding, and advised that a programmehas been completed to paint all ALRs with the Battenberg colour scheme similar to other liveriedvehicles. During the April of 2007 visit, while visiting the depot and police stations, compliancewith this recommendation had been clearly observed.Recommendation 58:Army Support, Security DemandsPatten Recommendation:58. The role of the army should continue to be reduced, as quickly as the security situation willallow, so that the police can patrol all parts of Northern Ireland without military support.Lead Responsibility: NIO/Chief Constable/GOCRecommendation StatusCompliance with this recommendation has been achieved.HistoryAs of April 2007, the role of the army in public order policing has been significantly reducedpermitting the Police Service, except for sections of South Armagh, to patrol all parts of NorthernIreland without support from the military.The 2002 plan provided by the Police Service to reduce its dependence on army support has beensuccessfully implemented. The army has reported a considerable reduction in troop levels andpatrols in support of the Police Service. The reports from the Police Service and the army haverevealed that the number of shooting and bombing incidents, as well as deaths, have been steadilydeclining permitting the army to reduce its visibility in Northern Ireland. Further evidence of achanging security situation is in the 2007 report by the Independent Monitoring Commission(IMC) 1 . The IMC noted major progress in the normalisation of the security situation and hasverified the reduced role of the army in support of the police. A separate army report indicatesthat the troop numbers in Northern Ireland have declined from 14,892 in 1999 to 5,000 byAugust of 2007, with no troops rear-based. The 19 army watch towers and observation postshave been closed or demolished and the 22 joint police/army bases have been closed. During theperiod 2001-2006, published statistics indicate a major drop in the use of emergency powers by1Report 14, International Monitoring Commission, March 2007.75