The man charged with overseeing the introduction of new policing in the North has delivered a "good but could do better" report. However, he said he did not doubt the resolve of many people to introduce new policing.
Mr Tom Constantine, the police Oversight Commissioner, reported good progress in key areas but made significant criticisms about the lack of pace on politically-sensitive subjects including human rights and the role of Special Branch, the police intelligence service.
The report, Mr Constantine's fourth, praises the board's record and he complimented board members for "handling so many issues in a short period of time".
He told The Irish Times the board was emerging as a powerful and respected body and he hoped it would get "the support of the entire community", a reference to Sinn Féin's continuing boycott.
He also praised "outstanding results" of the recruitment drive which saw the first 44 trainees graduate last month on a 50:50 religious basis.
But the commissioner also finds that progress to date on the amalgamation of Special Branch and Crime Branch, the need for a new police training college, the allocation of resources and progress on human rights falls short of recommendations outlined by the Patten report on policing.
On human rights the report states: "The Police Service has not provided evidence of a programme of bringing the new police oath to the attention of serving officers, ensuring they understand it and understand the need to carry out their duties in accordance with it. It has not implemented a system of assessing the human rights performance of individual officers." Referring to Special Branch and the recommendation that it be amalgamated with the Crime Branch, he said there had been some progress.
"But we read Patten to say he wanted to amalgamate Special Branch and Crime Branch, that there was a need to direct some of the \ of Special Branch in the areas of organised and violent crime. That requires a tactical, primary sharing of information." The report says not enough has been done to meet this need. He would not comment on the long-standing allegation that Special Branch was a "force within a force".