Book Review: Policing the Police in Northern Ireland: Politics, Crime and Security after the Belfast Agreement
| Author | Donna Halliday |
| DOI | 10.1177/1473225413505390a |
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
272 Youth Justice 13(3)
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Jon Moran, Policing the Police in Northern Ireland: Politics, Crime and
Security after the Belfast Agreement, Manchester University Press, Manchester,
2008, £14.99 Pb, ISBN 978-0-7190-7472-1.
Reviewed by: Donna Halliday, Liverpool Hope University, UK.
Jon Moran’s book on policing since the Belfast Agreement in 1998 is a welcome addition
to existing literature in the field of Irish studies, politics and criminology, in which he
examines the way that crime, and the response of the authorities to it, have become central
to the peace process in Northern Ireland. Moran highlights the pressures the police in
Northern Ireland have faced and continue to face in the wake of the peace process. These
pressures emanate from within the force through reform and public scrutiny over law
enforcement which at times has led to controversial decisions that have provoked censure,
and discord. They have also emerged in the public sphere through the Policing Service for
Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) continuing struggle with paramilitary activity.
The book is divided into a clear and logical order of chapters. It starts with an overview
of policing and crime in Northern Ireland (Chapter 1), before moving on to focus on the
Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries respectively (Chapters 2 and 3), and, in particular,
a clear and detailed examination of Republican and Loyalist involvement in organized
crime and political violence, and its impact on the peace process. Chapter 4 examines
‘ordinary’ crime or crime committed by non-paramilitaries, and the rise in crime since the
peace process. Herein, Moran assesses traditional arguments that crime differs signifi-
cantly in Northern Ireland compared to other parts of the UK, offering compelling statis-
tics that highlight more parallels than previously assumed. Chapter 5 gives a detailed
account and critique of policing reform and the struggles that have been encountered
internally and externally in the transition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) to
the PSNI. The remaining three chapters (Chapters 6, 7 and 8) provide an informative
account of law enforcement – including chapters on ‘The Organised Crime Task Force’;
the ‘Assets Recovery Agency’; and continued counter terrorist operations in Northern
Ireland. Moran argues that crime has been a crucial factor in the peace process whilst
detailing the often contentious and provocative actions that have raised serious questions
over the legitimacy of the PSNI and law enforcement agencies. The inclusion of first-hand
accounts via interviews with PSNI representatives adds credence to Moran’s insightful
and thought-provoking critique of policing and crime in Northern Ireland since 1998.
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