Whilst
it may be common practice for those who live in
the leafy suburbs to rely, if the need arises, on
the police and to view them with admiration and
respect, within working class communities like the
Short Strand life is not quite so simple.
Without
highlighting this particular community, it is worth
analysing why millions of working class people throughout
the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland have
what can only be described as a jaundiced relationship
with her Majesties Constabulary and the Garda Síochána.
When we are doing this, there is one statistic that
one should keep in mind: one in three males between
the ages of sixteen to twenty five will have some
sort of criminal record, having been through the
criminal justice system on at least one occasion.
Even these days within most working class communities,
bar the pub there are few amenities where youngsters
can socialise, especially the age group sixteen
to eighteen. Legally those who fall within this
age group are to young for the pub, yet too old
for the youth club. Thus their natural habitat is
the shop doorway and street corner. It is more often
than not, whilst these youngster are hanging out
in these places, they have their first direct experience
of those we anoint to provide us at street level
with law and order. It is very often a bruising
experience.
Police
officers, often not much older than them, harass
these youngsters, because their presence on the
street corners offends and intimidates the rest
of us. Thus the kids are shepherded from one street
corner to the next, pockets turned out and names
taken in the process. Of course it being in his
nature, when the police move on down the street,
the devil often makes work for idle hands and some
of these youngsters then commit low level but socially
disruptive crimes, which brings them into the orbit
of the criminal justice system.
As to the parents of these youngsters, the only
time they come into contact with the police will
be when the latter is representing the State as
a blunt instrument.
Perhaps
they will be called to the local Police Station
because their offspring has been arrested for one
of those aforementioned anti social crimes, or if
involved in an industrial dispute it will appear
to them and not without reason, the police are doing
the bidding of the bosses. The same is true if they
feel strongly about certain issues and take part
in a demonstration or public protest; and when,
due to a bad patch, the bailiffs arrive at the door
for an unpaid bill and they refuse to hand over
their treasured possessions, they are more often
than not accompanied by the police who make sure
they do.
For these reasons and a host of other petty slights,
a culture has instilled itself within working class
consciousness where respect for the police just
does not exist; a level of tolerance perhaps, but
respect no, for respect has to be earned.
Within
most working class communities only one crime would
automatically be reported to the police without
hesitation and that is sexual offences against children.
But other crimes would take a wee bit of thought
before the local plods' number is dialled, although
these days if one is the victim of a property crime,
your car is stolen or house burgled then needs must,
as it would be impossible to claim on the insurance
without a crime sheet number.
Assault of the person is a very grey area indeed,
as can be seen by the fact that on any Friday or
Saturday night, in hundreds of towns and cities
throughout the UK and ROI, thousands of drunken
scuffles or brawls take place without the police
being called, the overwhelming majority of them
petering out, with both parties going home to lick
their wounds or savour their victory. The fact that
Robert McCartney himself, when he first left the
pub after the original fracas with his killers,
appears to have had no thought of calling the PSNI
is in itself an example of this, although he was
not to know that the group of merciless thugs he
had walked away from were to follow him out of Magennis's
Bar and attack him once again.
What I have described above is how most working
class communities react to the police. Within the
north of Ireland, especially in areas like the Short
Strand, you have also to add in the explosive political,
sectarian and historical mix; by so doing you can
multiply the above mentioned hostility to the police
ten fold.
Having
done so it becomes easier to understand why few
people have come forward as witnesses to the brutal
murder of Robert McCartney. Yes, there has been
intimidation by the PIRA, but in itself I doubt
this is the overriding factor at work here. Especially
now that Gerry Adams, to his credit, has all but
absolved any who come forward and give evidence
against the killers. Make no mistake, however, no
matter what happens in the long run, when the dust
has settled, anyone who comes forward and gives
evidence will be forever known as an informer by
a section within this community. It is all very
well for politicians and journalists to claim otherwise
but it is not their head, nor that of their family
on the block.
I have some personal experience of a similar situation,
although thankfully no one lost their lives. Some
years ago a friend of mine, not close but nevertheless
a friend, due to a case of mistaken identity was
badly beaten by a doorman at a local club. He was
taken to hospital and the police became involved.
The doorman, who was a particularly unpleasant individual,
was charged with GBH. A date was set for the trial
at which my friend would be the main prosecution
witness. The "security consultant" who
employed the doorman approached me to ask my friend
if he would consider dropping the charges (refuse
to testify), if the doorman apologised and made
financial restitution. In other words the doorman
would say sorry and give my mate a bung for his
pains. I did as I was asked and passed on to my
friend the offer made by the "security consultant".
He asked my advice, although I new he would not
take it as he had made up his mind as to his course
of action. Nevertheless I advised him to take the
bung, as this thing would come back to haunt him
if he did not. I said this not because I thought
the doorman did not deserve to be punished, but
for two reasons. Firstly my friend was a loner,
he kept himself to himself, and thus I felt if he
were to testify, he would not have the support base
he would need to draw on to get through this thing.
Secondly
the doorman worked for the "security consultant"
who I have mentioned, who happened to have good
relations with the local police. The latter is something
that outsiders often fail to understand. The police
within their area will have a working relationship
with those who are at the top of the criminal fraternity,
who pass on information to the police about local
hoods further down the food chain. This allows the
police to clear up their crime statistic and keep
a resemblance of order; in return they often turn
a blind eye to the "security consultants"
activities.
In this context I found it interesting the Chief
Constable of the PSNI was reported as saying his
officers regularly met members of the PIRA. One
can only guess at what is being discussed at these
meetings.
Still I digress. My friend replied bollix, the bastard
should pay and it was difficult to disagree with
him, especially as it was not I who had suffered
a beating to within an inch of life. He testified
and the doorman got a paltry six months and on his
release was soon back working the very same door.
However
in time my friend became the victim of a whispering
campaign and received the odd anonymous threats.
The police did not wish to know, saying they could
do nothing unless he was assaulted. For the police
he had become yesterday's business, and in any case
they had no wish to go up against the "security
consultant" as he was one of their main sources.
Due
to the drip drip of this low level intimidation,
my friend's life became pretty miserable and he
rarely went out; eventually he could take it no
more and he moved away to start again.
It was all very sad. Whilst the majority of people
who knew what he was going through admired my friend
for the courage he had shown in testifying in open
court and sympathised with his predicament, they
were powerless to do anything about it, as all the
threats and smears were carried out in an underhand
manner and could be and indeed were denied. When
I approached the "security consultant"
to ask him to put a stop to what was going on, he
replied, "Mick, these things just don't go
away, you know, they don't, they have a momentum
of their own." As they say sympathy is between
shit and syphilis in the dictionary.
I hope the family of Mr McCartney will get the justice
they have demanded for their dead brother. I have
my doubts, as it seems to me the only way a conviction
will be attained is if the killers of Robert McCartney
and those who colluded with them give themselves
up to the PSNI and admit the offence. As for some
this would mean a considerable period of jail time,
it is doubtful if even the most disciplined volunteer
would voluntarily commit themselves to that. In
any case, it should not be overlooked that with
the recent expulsions from the PIRA, the dismissed
men no longer come under O'glaigh na hEireann military
discipline.
Perhaps it is time for the Nationalist/Republican
people of the island of Ireland to demand of the
Provisional Republican Movement that now is the
time for O'glaigh na hEireann to leave the stage,
and allow Sinn Fein to carry the PRM's banner alone,
as a legal democratic political party, as is their
right and their electoral mandate demands of them.
I for one could not think of a finer memorial for
Robert McCartney.
