A DRIVE to recruit 400 police officers, aimed at bringing more Catholic recruits into the ranks of the PSNI, will begin this month.
Wednesday January 8 is the 10th anniversary of the dissident republican attempt to murder GAA-playing officer Peadar Heffron, who had been held up as an example of the reformed service. Constable Heffron sustained catastrophic injuries, including the loss of his right leg, when a bomb exploded under his car as he travelled on Milltown Road in Randalstown to work in Woodbourne Police Station in west Belfast. Óglaigh na hÉireann admitted the attack.
A former hurler and Gaelic footballer with Creggan Kickhams GAC in Randalstown, the respected full-back helped the club to the Antrim Intermediate Championship title on two occasions. He was a fluent Irish speaker and captain of the PSNI Gaelic football team.
No-one has ever been charged with the bombing.
Following a Police Ombudsman’s investigation two detective superintendents and two detective sergeants – all from the C3 intelligence unit – were disciplined for not passing on information to officers investigating the attack.
On April 2 2011, dissidents murdered Catholic Constable Ronan Kerr in a car-bomb attack as he left for work from his home on the outskirts of Omagh, Co Tyrone.
The targeting of Catholic officers led to a dramatic reduction in the number of nationalists applying to join the service.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the falling number of Catholic recruits was one of the PSNI’s “top worries”. He expressed concern about sliding down a “slippery slope” after peace process efforts to make the service more representative.
Giving evidence to a Westminster committee, Mr Byrne said the threat posed by dissidents was also discouraging young Catholics from joining, as it could force them to cut ties with friends and family and leave the neighbourhoods where they grew up.
As part of the new drive to reverse the trend the PSNI took a full page advertisement in the All-Ireland Final programme last year to promote its 2020 recruitment campaign. The ad featured the Irish language version of the PSNI’s “Keeping People Safe” motto “Ag Coimead Daoine Sabhailte”.
The Police Federation’s Northern Ireland chairman Mark Lindsay said: “It’s 10 years on from this cowardly attack on our colleague and still terrorists are hell-bent on creating casualties of our officers who serve this entire community.
“Peadar was left with severe, life-changing injuries and was fortunate to escape with his life. Like him, other men and women from across our society have shown great courage in coming forward to join the police and serve all communities.
“Policing continues to operate under a ‘severe’ threat from terrorists and in 2020 that has to be seen as wholly unacceptable.
“We encourage people from all backgrounds in our diverse society to consider a career in policing but we are also mindful of the risks some will face.
“Policing working with wider society can change the attitudes of those still caught in the past and we would encourage families and friends to support those who take the brave and challenging steps to serve our communities as members of the PSNI.
“All sections of our society should support policing unequivocally and reject those who would intimidate and murder.”
