Policing a Divided Society: Obstacles to Normalization in Northern Ireland

The scholarly literature on the police is deficient in studies of policing in highly polarized societies. Northern Ireland is an ideal case for examining the police role in just such a context. The Royal Ulster Constabulary has played a pivotal role in the Northern Ireland conflict over the past 15 years. This study examines both the major reforms in the force during this period, and the barriers to further progress toward “normal” or “civilian” policing in a deeply divided society. I analyze continuing problems of police violence, legitimacy, accountability, and militarization and show how the current system of aggressive, paramilitary policing is perpetuated by a combination of four key fauors.