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In November 2001 the Police Service of Northern Ireland was formed against a backdrop of sectarian hatred, civic distrust and the first glimmers of hope fuelled by the Good Friday Agreement. Stephen Nolan looks back at some of the newsworthy, controversial and, at times, shocking events that have marked the first 20 years of the PSNI. He talks to members of the force who have served in both its junior and senior ranks, and to those who support or challenge the current service.

The transition from the old force to the new was shrouded in controversy. Charges of betrayal both of the RUC as a force and of the hundreds of former officers who had been killed in the Troubles marked its inception. Other changes included a different name and insignia for the new service; affirmative action that would ensure a demographic balance between Protestant and Catholic officers in its ranks; and the abolition of the RUC Special Branch – at that time, one of the world’s most experienced counter-terrorism agencies.

Stephen talks to the architects of the new force. Sir Chris Patten outlines the political context, and Sir Ronnie Flanaghan, the last chief constable of the RUC and the first chief constable of the PSNI, gives a first hand account about the transition. Officers, both former and present, chart the establishment of the new service and critics of the force tell Stephen of their concerns.

The clear and primary objective of all these reforms was to create a new police service that would be acceptable to all sections of the community in Northern Ireland. After 20 years, Stephen Nolan examines how far the force has come on its road to acceptance.