ABSTRACT
Policing in Northern Ireland is primarily the responsibility of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). It was established in 1922 following the widespread unrest which resulted in the division of Ireland. In Northern Ireland the devolved government passed the 1922 Constabulary Act. a product of the new administration's very first report, which recommended a 3,000-strong force, with one-third of the places reserved for Catholics. The R UC was to be supported by a largely part-time reserve force, the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC), which came to be known as the 'B' Specials. From the outset, the police forces were allocated a dual role: responsibility for 'ordinary' crime and also for policing the new political settlement which meant protecting the border and confronting internal opponents.
