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Post by Jim on Oct 14, 2007 18:35:53 GMT
What are your views on this? I've been told that they put you on the A list if your physically fit and have a degree. That with 24k a year in wages, its very tempting to upload law and order in northern ireland  |
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Post by Wasp on Oct 14, 2007 19:25:07 GMT
Well I heard that a one legged blind Catholic has more chance of getting in than a highly fit Protestant academic. lol
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Post by Blue Angel on Oct 14, 2007 19:32:49 GMT
if there is any truth in that assertion it would be of course wrong as the same standards of recruitment for catholics as protestants should be applied.
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Post by Wasp on Oct 14, 2007 19:39:24 GMT
No in all seriousness there was the business of applicants being 50% Catholic and 50% other which does discriminate against Protestants. I know quite a few Catholic policemen and especially the ones that are retired always say there are three religions in N.Ireland, Catholic, Protestant and the R.U.C.
I know some who have put Catholic on there application to give them a better chance of getting in. But for me it should always be the best person for the job regardless of religious or sexual orientation.
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Post by bearhunter on Oct 14, 2007 20:06:32 GMT
Well, WASP, perhaps if the RUC had had the same consideration....
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Post by Blue Angel on Oct 14, 2007 20:09:50 GMT
interestingly enough i was reading a book by a guy called Alvin Jackson about Home Rule and he tells us the statistics for catholics in the ruc was at first about 28 per cent but that that the figure dropped off markedly. there was a similar scheme to the 50/50 scheme in the early days of NI where they were supposed to try and recruit one third of th eforce from a nationalist background but guess what it didn't go so well for some reason or other...
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Post by Jim on Oct 14, 2007 20:12:28 GMT
I dont want to get onto the discussion of discrimination, its there to balance things out and its not for the long term future, if the RUC had of fairly employed that mess wouldnt be around for us to deal with, maybe the troubles wouldnt have happened either.
What do people think about a republican from west belfast even thinking about joining the psni? a mate of mine who is in SF is also thinking about it, we're both doing degrees with no jobs on the other side other than journalism.
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Post by Blue Angel on Oct 14, 2007 20:17:33 GMT
its a job - the irish or british flag never put food on anyone's table
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Post by Jim on Oct 14, 2007 20:31:34 GMT
I was shocked when I heard it was 24k a year. Thats more than I would have made if I got a job in computers like I wanted too when I was a sprog (hate the fucking things now).
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Post by Blue Angel on Oct 14, 2007 20:44:58 GMT
thats roughly similar to my wage actually - i have heard NI wages area bit lower than the average in the UK generally though.
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Post by Jim on Oct 14, 2007 22:34:11 GMT
24k is a good wage up here. Its comfortable.
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Post by Wasp on Oct 14, 2007 23:42:24 GMT
I
The difference here is that many Catholics chose not to join, it was the RUC' fault. Anyone could apply and indeed many top serving officers ate the start of the troubles and during were Catholics. Also given the fact that republicans threatened and killed Catholic applicants it is hardly surprizing that in some cases people were genuinely scared.
I would say go for it. My only concerns would be along the lines of what if a fellow officer told you something on a known republican who was say being watched etc, would you pass the info on so the republican finds out? Would you be able to arrest say a sinn fein member or supporter if they were suspected of any type of terrorist offence or criminality which may turn out to be false information? Would you tip them off before there arrest etc?
Those questions may seem daft but they are genuine questions.
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Post by Jim on Oct 15, 2007 0:00:04 GMT
Yeah, how many of those officers where from working class west belfast? Its not about just being catholic, its about being nationalist. Whereas protestantism is one for one with unionist ideas, catholicism isnt so it is fair to say that protestantism dominated the RUC but didnt mean it outruled catholics, those catholics where not nationalists.
I dont know how to answer that (and have someone read it who i'd rather not), I'd not work in nationalist areas incase my family (who live in a dissident area) got bollocks for it. There information would no doubt be about dissident republicans, theyre technically still at war. The main reason join the psni would be I'm more likely to get the job, if I had to choose I'd be working in an english police force so I wouldnt have to put up with that sort of shite. Busting through Moss side would be safer than busting through divis.
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Post by Jim on Oct 15, 2007 10:16:25 GMT
Suppose but I've no plans on sprogs for years to come mate, I'm already running late on all this university lark because it took me so long to get the qualifications to get in if I'd have done my GCSEs and A levels like everyone else I'd have graduated last year. Living on 6k a year and working 60-70 hour weeks over summer is buttons compared to 24k |
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Post by Wasp on Oct 15, 2007 12:55:35 GMT
That simply is not true mate. I am not saying they all are but I know a few who are nationalist and would like to see a U.I. I was actually talking about this to three of them and between them they have 58 years service in the RUC (another one is a Protestant who also wants to see a UI). Two are quite fluent in Irish and come from staucnch Catholic backgrounds. They are most definately nationalists.
I understand completely.
The problem here is that you would be reuired to work anywhere and serve everyone although they probably wouldn't post you in your home area, but it could happen.
Again I understand. Many Protestant police officers had an even more difficult task. Under daily threat from republicans and then under threat from getting there houses petrol bombed from loyalists especially if they lived in a mainly Unionist town where they would have felt safer.
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