Paramilitary punishments in Belfast: policing beneath the peace

Youth in Northern Ireland: Linking Violence Exposure, Emotional Insecurity, and the Political Macrosystem

“…To achieve their aims, the paramilitaries do not just organize insurgent attacks, but they also engage in a form of political campaigning to win over the support of those in the nationalist community (Bean, 2012). One way that they have done this is by taking advantage of the policing vacuum in the poorest communities (Topping & Byrne, 2012). As shown through the ineffective policing and justice theme described above and noted in prior research, many in these neighborhoods feel that the police service has failed to address their fears about ongoing crime and sectarian violence (Byrne et al, 2005; Byrne & Monaghan, 2008; Topping, 2008).…”

Tackling Crime and Paramilitary Violence: Present Day Challenges for Community-based Restorative Justice Projects

“…Yet, in Northern Ireland and many other jurisdictions, State policies only consider cases involving young people and/or low-level offending for restorative justice (Miers 2001;Beckett and Kartman 2016). As a result, how State agencies are using restorative justice has led some to express concerns that its distinctive and benevolent features are In Northern Ireland, some communities continue to experience distrust and a reluctance to report crime to State officials, preferring instead to use paramilitaries to respond to criminality (Topping and Byrne 2012;NIE 2016a). While the willingness of paramilitaries to cooperate with community based restorative justice projects has always been conditional, the findings suggest that this willingness has become increasingly patchy and unreliable.…”

Can diversity promote trust? Neighbourhood context and trust in the police in Northern Ireland

“…By contrast, trust in the PSNI among many Catholic communities has grown, as witnessed in 2007 when Sinn Fein, the largest Nationalist/Republican political party, formally acknowledged and endorsed the PSNI. But in historically marginalised, primarily working class, Republican communities (once 'no go areas' for the RUC), the PSNI is still trying hard to win over 'hearts and minds' (Ellison et al 2012, Topping andByrne 2012a).…”

“…Paramilitaries previously played a prominent social control role in some neighbourhoods, while what constitutes 'dominant societal institutions' might vary with community identity. Under such conditions, neighbourhood level social control processes may be unimportant in terms of trust formation because their success or otherwise is not associated, in people's minds, with the police (Topping and Byrne 2012a). Yet, the very formation of the PSNI is premised on the idea that it does represent -embody the values of, share priorities with, and belong to -all communities in NI.…”