A NEW crime-fighting scheme which offers the Northern public the opportunity to act as paid police informants has been launched by the RUC. A leading SDLP councillor said nationalists would view the initiative with deep suspicion.
The RUC becomes the 25th police force in the UK to join the Crimestoppers scheme, which urges the public to alert police about criminal activity by using an anonymous phone line.
A reward may be offered to anyone who provides information which leads to the arrest and subsequent charging of a suspect. In all cases, public informants area guaranteed anonymity, even where they claim their rewards, according to the Crimestoppers organisation. Crimestoppers is run by a registered charity, Crimestoppers Trust, and is an alliance between the police and the private sector.
RUC Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Raymond White, launching the scheme, said he hoped it would encourage people to pass on information to the police.
"I am sure that the people of Northern Ireland will welcome the opportunity to help in the fight against crime, of any sort, sure in the knowledge that any information which they give will be completely anonymous and that they need have no fear of recrimination," he said.
Its freephone number, applying in Britain and Northern Ireland, is 0800555111.
The Northern Ireland security minister, Sir John Wheeler, said the scheme allowed everybody in the North to be "partners in the field of crime detection".
However, a Belfast SDLP councillor, Mr Alex Attwood, said nationalists would view the initiative with suspicion and it would be open to abuse. He did not believe the line would be truly confidential.
Those who used the line would be traced and pressurised by the RUC Special Branch to give further information, he said.
