The Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland was set up as part of the Agreement reached in Belfast on 10 April 1998. The task of the Commission was to provide 'a new beginning to policing' in Northern Ireland.

In its report published in 1999 [commonly referred to as the Patten Report] the Commission made 175 recommendations about policing in Northern Ireland.

The Oversight Commissioner , who reports on the progress made in implementing the Patten recommendations, has said that the vast majority of Patten's proposals are in place. He has paid tribute to the men and women in the Police Service who have driven forward 'unparalleled' policing change.

The Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland was set up as part of the Agreement reached in Belfast on 10 April 1998. The task of the Commission was to provide 'a new beginning to policing' in Northern Ireland.

As a result of the recommendations, a new name, badge and uniform came into being. In November 2001 the RUC became the Police Service of Northern Ireland [PSNI]. The accountability structures including the Policing Board, the Police Ombudsman's Office and the 29 District Policing Partnerships are all in place. Kathy O'Toole the former Patten Commissioner has said that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is now the most accountable Police Service in the world.

Police Service of Northern Ireland