The "best people" in Northern Ireland should "get up off their backsides" and "show some passion for peace", the RUC Chief Constable said yesterday.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan made the comments after a fourth successive night of violence which saw 13 RUC personnel injured and one woman injured by gunfire.
He said the violence in north Belfast was unprecedented in recent memory.
"The fear and mistrust and suspicion and outright sectarian hatred that I'm witnessing are at levels that I frankly haven't seen for perhaps 20 to 30 years," he said.
He called on community leaders and elected representatives from both sides of the community to get involved in finding a solution.
"It is time for the best people in this society to show some passion about peace and get up of their backsides and state that," he told the BBC.
"When they see wrong, they should categorically state things are wrong, and not always qualify it by an understanding what makes things wrong," he said.
Speaking before the Northern Secretary announced his decision not to declare the UDA ceasefire officially over, Sir Ronnie said he had no doubt that large elements of the organisation were engaging in violence.
"I have no doubt that there is organisation by paramilitaries afoot in this violence, people do not just have to hand up to 100 petrol bombs," he said.
Sir Ronnie added however that in declaring a ceasefire to be over Dr Reid "has to consider organisations as entire entities".
He warned "people should not think that any such declaration would be a panacea".
Mr Nigel Dodds, the DUP MP for the area, said that his party had been unreservedly condemning violence and calling for ceasefires to be reviewed.
He accused Sir Ronnie himself of qualifying his comments.
"We have heard Ronnie Flanagan come on and say 'there have been certain paramilitaries in certain areas but that doesn't mean...' - what's that 'but' qualification?" he asked.
Mr Dodds also said that for Dr Reid to declare the UDA cease-fire over but not to review the cessations of other paramilitary organisations which are officially on ceasefire, such as the IRA and UVF, would be a mistake.