There have been a lot of developments in the policing arena since the Belfast Agreement of 1998. An Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, better known as the Patten Commission, was established in 1998. The Patten Commission made 175 recommendations for change related to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (now the Police Service of Northern Ireland) as well as policing generally. The Patten Commission report can be located here .
The Patten Commission called for the creation of the following institutions:
- The Northern Ireland Policing Board, to replace the Police Authority for Northern Ireland. The Policing Board is tasked with holding the Police Service publicly to account. The Policing Board's website is located at www.nipolicingboard.org.uk.
- The District Policing Partnerships, which are designed to provide policing accountability at the local level, can be located at www.districtpolicing.com.
- The Office of the Oversight Commissioner, which is a temporary institution with responsibility for monitoring implementation of the recommendations of the Patten Commission. The Office of the Oversight Commissioner can be located at www.oversightcommissioner.org.
- As a result of the Patten Commission, the name of the Royal Ulster Constabulary was changed to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Information on that institution can be located at www.psni.police.uk.
In 2000, the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland was established. The Police Ombudsman is independent of the police and investigates complaints against the Police. The Police Ombudsman can be located at www.policeombudsman.org.