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The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) [n 1] 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) [2] 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 was a militarised police force [17] [18] [19] and played a key role in policing the violent conflict known as the Troubles. Initially, Sinn Féin , which represented about a quarter of Northern Ireland voters at the time, refused to endorse the PSNI until the Patten Commission's recommendations were implemented in full.
The men were part of the RUC Operational Support Unit, which surveilled the Irish border along with the British Army. [84] The unmarked patrol car was on Main Street when it was hit by at least 20 shots from both sides of the road. In a follow up operation a British Army Lynx helicopter received automatic fire from an IRA unit. [85] [86]
The RUC SPG was based on the Metropolitan Police model with the main roles of preventing outbreaks of public order and an anti-terrorist role. The SPG in London was disbanded in January 1987 and the same fate befell the RUC Special Patrol Group. They were replaced by Divisional Mobile Support Units operating under local divisional control. [5]
18 July: the INLA attacked an RUC vehicle patrol with two blast bombs in the Markets area of Belfast, slightly injuring an RUC officer. [138] [164] 19 July: an INLA sniper fired two shots at an RUC patrol at Lisbon Street in the Short Strand area of Belfast. The officers returned fire but claimed no hits and were later treated for shock. [165]
In this period, according to evidence given in court at the time by RUC deputy chief constable Michael McAtamney, officers selected for the unit underwent an immensely tough two-week assessment of fitness, mental ability and endurance under pressure, followed by a four-week course including seven days devoted exclusively to weapons training ...
a coffee jar bomb was thrown at an RUC mobile patrol on Ardilea Street in the Oldpark area of Belfast. [7] an IRA unit dropped a 5 lb (2.3 kg) Semtex bomb onto an armoured RUC patrol vehicle in the New Lodge area of Belfast. [8] a Semtex booby-trap bomb in a derelict house was defused by the British Army near Coagh, County Tyrone. [9] 5 January ...
7th (Belfast) Battalion: 1970–1984 Palace Barracks; Newtownards, Ladas Drive, Belfast: 7th/10th (City of Belfast) Battalion: 1984–1992 Palace Barracks; Grand Central Hotel, Royal Avenue, Belfast, Newtownards, Ladas Drive, Belfast: 8th (County Tyrone) Battalion [2] 1971–1992 Killymeal House, Dungannon; Cookstown UDR Barracks; Aughnacloy;