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PSNI fury at NYPD union slur
I don't consider them police officers, says pro-republican leader
By Sean O'Driscoll in New York and Brian Hutton
16 March 2005
A transatlantic row erupted today between the union leaders of the PSNI and New York's police department over remarks that police here act like soldiers, keeping Catholics down.
The Policing Federation for Northern Ireland has reacted furiousily to comments by New York's policing union chief Patrick Lynch at a meeting attended by Gerry Adams.
The head of the 36,000 member police union was introducing the Sinn Fein leader at a transport workers union meeting in New York when he said that Northern Ireland did not have a police force that respected people's rights.
He said that New York citizens had a professional police force while Northern Ireland had a military group controlling its people.
"I don't consider them police officers, they are soldiers who are trying to keep our people down for standing up for what's right," he said.
He said he was making a public pledge to help Mr Adams seek police reform in Northern Ireland.
A spokesman for the Policing Federation for Northern Ireland today poured disdain on the comments.
"We're surprised and disappointed at the ignorance of the police officer about the quality and professionalism of policing in Northern Ireland."
He added: "Obviously someone needs to brief this union leader.
"It's not a view that has been expressed by other policing union leaders in the US when we have held meetings with them in the past."
Mr Lynch, who was reelected as president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association in 2003 by a landslide, was an invited guest as a former member of the Transport Workers Union. His father had served 30 years with the same union.
Without mentioning Robert McCartney murder directly, he said that he would stand fully behind the Sinn Fein leadership while its enemies tried to blacken its name.
"Gerry, remember you are on the right track when all others are saying you are not, when the people you are fighting against are trying to get the masses to fight against you," he said.
Mr Adams was speaking at the Transport Workers Union Local 100 as part of a day long celebration of James Connolly and Michael Quill, two Irish republican leaders who were also involved in setting up unions in the US.
Quill, a former IRA man, helped found the 38,000-strong Transport Workers Union.
Mr Adams told guests Sinn Fein would not be put off by one terrible event in Belfast, but did not discuss Mr McCartney's murder.
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