Republican News · Thursday 11 April 2002

A lost opportunity

BY LAURA FRIEL

It was all sunshine, brass bands and hats off at the graduation ceremony to mark the 'passing out' of the first batch of recruits to the newly named PSNI last Friday. At their East Belfast training college, over 40 recruits and their relatives listened to RUC/PSNI Superintendent and former RUC trainer Roy Fleming describe the ceremony as "yet another momentous point in the process of taking forward the new beginning to policing".

But the scene had been very different just days earlier, when squads of RUC/PSNI officers, employing the familiar terror tactics of the RUC, had smashed their way into nationalist homes. The uniforms and emblems have changed, but clearly the current rebranding of the discredited RUC remains more shade than substance.

"These graduating students, both symbolically and in reality, represent the new consensus that we hope will form the basis for the pluralist and reconciled society that we are all striving to create in Northern Ireland," the presiding officer at the RUC/PSNI graduation, Gerry McKenna, declared.

Sledgehammers and arrests

Bobby Storey and his partner had been asleep when up to 20 armed and masked RUC/PSNI officers stormed the house, using ladders and sledgehammers to smash through the upstairs bedroom window and front door. Bobby Storey was one of five people arrested during raids on Easter Saturday morning.

"We heard several bangs on the window; we thought it was gunfire," said Bobby, "We thought we were under attack from gunmen."

As the RUC/PSNI smashed their way through the bedroom window, the couple were showered with fragments of glass before being dragged from their bed. While Bobby was kept in the hall naked, his girlfriend and her two teenage sons were forced onto the floor and had guns pointed into their faces.

The West Belfast man was taken to Lisburn barracks, where he was questioned in connection with the St Patrick's Day raid on Castlereagh. Storey was held for two days before being released without charge.

"They made a number of allegations. My solicitor asked them to substantiate them and asked if they had any evidence," said Bobby. "It was just a series of allegations repeated over again and they admitted they had no evidence. My solicitor said he didn't understand why I was being held."

"The new beginning which is under way is about a truly substantive process of change and improvement," said RUC/PSNI Superintendent Roy Fleming addressing the graduation, "it is about placing the policing service in a position where it is best fitted not only to meet the needs of but to win the trust and confidence of people from every community within Northern Ireland."

During a simultaneous dawn raid on the home of Declan Kearney, RUC/PSNI officers sledge hammered their way into the family's home. According to Jarlath Kearney, his brother Declan was attacked in his bedroom and handcuffed before being taken to Lisburn barracks.

"They forcibly detained my sister-in-law who was holding her hysterical two-year-old-son. They prevented my sister-in-law from reaching her six-year-old daughter in another bedroom. They refused to permit use of the telephone for legal representation," said Jarlath.

During the raid, the RUC/PSNI seized a "substantial amount of manifestly irrelevant personal belongings, including all the children's videotapes". The RUC/PSNI also impounded the family's car.

By Saturday evening, the RUC/PSNI were ransacking the confidential files of Derry-based trauma-counselling service, Cúnamh, a project principally concerned with the survivors and relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday. Cúnamh described the raid as a "major invasion and breach of privacy".

John Kelly, whose brother Michael was amongst those killed and who is a family liaison worker with the Bloody Sunday Trust, said the raid had caused the families immense distress.

"The families consider the actions of the PSNI an interference with the independence of the Saville Inquiry," said John. "The PSNI have intervened to destroy our confidence and in one despicable act have further increased the pain and trauma associated with Bloody Sunday."

At the same time, officers of the RUC/PSNI were also ransacking offices belonging to the Derry-based ex-prisoners' group, Tar Abhaile.

"Those involved in the search operation were aggressive and obstructive," said Sean McMonagle of Tar Abhaile, "and despite being offered keys to any locked doors, the RUC/PSNI decided to use a sledgehammer to smash them down."

Despite repeated requests, members of Tar Abhaile were refused access to their offices. The republican ex-prisoners' group shares the building with the Pat Finucane Centre and Community Restorative Justice. Representatives of both groups were also prevented from entering the building.

"The RUC/PSNI spent over four hours in our offices unobserved by anyone," said Sean. "As ex-prisoner groups' work for a better future for all as equals, the state and its armed enforcers continue in their old ways, the ways of sledgehammers, terror and detention."

It was almost twelve hours after his arrest before Declan Kearney was questioned in Lisburn barracks. "Afterwards, my brother's solicitor said he was baffled by the aimless and nebulous nature of the interrogation," said Jarlath.

On Sunday evening, Declan was released without charge. "He had been held for a total of 37 hours and was interviewed on just three occasions," said Jarlath.

A few days later, former RUC Special Branch officer and RUC/PSNI Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan was assuring graduating RUC/PSNI officers that the future of policing rested in their hands.

Describing the new recruits as "the most recent ambassadors in the proud history of policing in Northern Ireland", Flanagan declared they "would prove to be as strong, sensitive and successful as their predecessors".

Meanwhile, having accepted a small gift from Flanagan to mark the close links forged between the two forces, Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne told the RUC/PSNI recruits to "treat anybody as you or your family would like to be treated. Maintain your impartiality. Maintain your balance of thought on all issues. Do everything you can to enhance the relationship that you have with the communities you will serve."

More arrests

Twenty-four hours earlier, fellow RUC/PSNI officers had smashed their way into the Derry homes of Raymond and Andrew McCartney. It was around 7.30am and Rose McCartney was already up and awake.

"My child had been ill during the night and I was up when the door was smashed in. They could easily have knocked and I would have answered but instead they smashed it in and were very aggressive and intimidating," said Rose, "they took Raymond out almost immediately and then began to search the house and take away all sorts of material".

drew McCartney wasn't at home when they smashed their way into the house. He and his wife Paula arrived home to find their front door lying in the garden.

"We were not long back in the house when a police car and Land Rover arrived. Two plain-clothes policemen came up and said they wanted to speak to Andrew and then they arrested him. I asked where they were taking him and they said Lisburn," said Paula.

Computer disks, videos and items of clothing were by the RUC/PSNI. "What I can't understand is why they felt it necessary to take children's clothes," said Paula.

Meanwhile, the RUC/PSNI were raiding the offices of the Derry Taxi Association, which is managed by Andrew McCartney. Andrew and Raymond McCartney were held in Lisburn barracks for a number of hours before being released without charge.

A day later, SDLP Policing Board member Joe Byrne was describing the RUC/PSNI graduation ceremony as "historic". He continued: "Today's graduation ceremony symbolises a break with the past and marks a beginning of a new era in policing in the North in which policing is made more accountable, representative and is brought closer to the community."

During a week at Easter, a period of specific importance for both Catholics and republicans, over a dozen nationalist homes and premises had been raided.

Parents and their children had been subjected to totally unnecessary trauma with masked and armed men smashing into their homes, arresting fathers and ransacking personal property. Those detained were held without pretext and their interrogations had been little more than farce.

Projects working on behalf of some of the most vulnerable and traumatised members of the nationalist community were also targeted and ransacked without regard for personal privacy or professional confidentiality. And it didn't end there.

Biased coverage

In the ensuing RUC/PSNI-inspired witch hunt, the deliberate media exposure of personal details, accompanied by unsubstantiated allegations presented as matters of fact, ensured that persecution of those targeted and their families will continue.

Following the arrest of Declan Kearney, BBC News 24 broadcast film footage showing a close up of the family's home and front door, the family's vehicle and registration number. Despite a formal complaint, the footage continued to be shown. And the print media was no better.

"The Sunday Times named my brother and one other person as being amongst those arrested," said Jarlath Kearney, "following the headline 'IRA BEHIND CASTLEREAGH RAID' the Sunday People named my brother and another person in connection with the 'Provo raid'."

Describing the "malicious and unfounded propaganda which accompanied these violent arrests" as "the final and bitter actions" of Ronnie Flanagan, Jarlath pointed out that prior to this incident no member of his family had ever been arrested, questioned, charged or convicted of any criminal or political offence.

In the grounds of RUC/PSNI training college, British Security Minister Jane Kennedy congratulated the student RUC/PSNI officers on their graduation. "This is an important day for them, their families and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. These young people had the courage to look to the future and in the proud traditions of policing in Northern Ireland they will face all the challenges ahead with unparalleled dedication and professionalism."