New police service badge is unveiled
From Irish News - 13th December 2001
UNIONISTS and nationalists on Northern Ireland's new Policing Board last night agreed a design for the badge for the new police service.
The 19-member board which includes four Ulster Unionists, three members of the DUP and three members of the SDLP agreed a badge containing six symbols including emblems of the crown and harp.
The new badge comprises of a crown, harp, shamrock, laurel leaf and torch and scales of justice with the cross of St Patrick as a centrepiece.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the board which also contains nine governmentappointed members.
The proposal will be submitted to Secretary of State John Reid for final approval.But last night he praised the cross-community consensus on a new design.
"I'm very grateful for the work the board has done and it bodes well for the future of policing in Northern Ireland, " Dr Reid said.
A statement from the DUP said that while its members would have preferred the retention of the old crown, harp and shamrock emblem of the RUC, the design was an improvement on the "insulting toy town badges" proposed instead recently.
SDLP chairman Alex Attwood claimed the agreement on the badge illustrated that everyone regardless of their political differences could work together."The badge was adopted unanimously, showing everyone is working together. The board is off to a constructive start, " Mr Attwood said.
DUP Policing Board members Ian Paisley jr, Sammy Wilson and William Hay said: "While the badge which has been proposed is not our ideal solution, nevertheless we believe that through the retention of the crown and harp recognition has been given to the RUC origins of the police service." |
