Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) following the partition of Ireland. At its peak the force had around 8,500 officers with a further 4,500 who were members of the RUC Reserve. 

The RUC policed Northern Ireland during the aftermath of the Irish War of Independence, the Second World War, the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) Northern Campaign (1942–44) and Border Campaign (1956–62), and throughout the Troubles (1960s–1990s). Due to the threat from the IRA, who saw the RUC as enforcing British rule, the RUC was an armed and militarised police force. Officers routinely carried submachine guns and assault rifles, travelled in armoured Land Rovers, and were based in heavily-fortified police stations. It was the first police force to use rubber and plastic bullets for riot control. The RUC's membership was overwhelmingly Protestant and it was accused by sections of the Catholic and Irish nationalist minority of one-sided policing and sectarianism. Officers were also accused of police brutality as well as collusion with loyalist paramilitaries. Conversely, it was praised as one of the most professional police forces in the world by British security forces.

During the Troubles, 319 RUC officers were killed and almost 9,000 injured in paramilitary assassinations or attacks, mostly by the Provisional IRA, which made the RUC the most dangerous police force in the world in which to serve by 1983. In the same period, the RUC killed 55 people, 28 of whom were civilians. In 2000, the RUC was awarded the George Cross for bravery.

The RUC was superseded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in 2001. The former police force was renamed and reformed, as is provided for by the final version of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. The allegations regarding collusion prompted several inquiries, the most recent of which was authored by Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan in 2007. The report identified police, CID and Special Branch collusion with loyalist terrorists, but no member of the RUC has been charged or convicted of any criminal acts as a result of these inquiries. The Ombudsman stated in her conclusions that there was no reason to believe the findings of the investigation were isolated incidents.
Q35535
police
Concept
Q26
Northern Ireland
LOC
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Royal Irish Constabulary
ORG
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partition of Ireland
LOC
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Irish War of Independence
EVE
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Second World War
Concept
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Irish Republican Army
ORG
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Northern Campaign
MEDIA
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Border Campaign
EVE
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the Troubles
EVE
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Concept
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plastic bullet
Concept
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Protestant
MEDIA
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PER
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Concept
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Concept
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Concept
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EVE
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ORG
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George Cross
MEDIA
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Police Service of Northern Ireland
ORG
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Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000
LOC
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Police Ombudsman
UNK
Q336451
Nuala O'Loan
PER
Q1482143
Royal Ulster Constabulary
ORG
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