IRA Woman Oversees Police

While the Belfast suburb of Newtownabbey may have one of the youngest new District Policing Partnership members, 19-year-old Kirsty Bell - a history and politics student - west Belfast has one of the most controversial.

A republican jailed for trying to blow up a policeman has now joined the police scrutiny body.

Rosaleen McCorley, the first female IRA inmate freed under the Good Friday Agreement, became the second high-profile ex-prisoner named to District Policing Partnerships when 211 new members of the groups were unveiled.

The independent members of the DPPs, groups which monitor policing in every district council area, will serve alongside local councillors already appointed.

Twenty-three out of 26 DPPs were reshuffled after republicans agreed to support policing last year - and that change was reflected by at least 10% of the new members belonging to Sinn Fein.

The number of new independent members declaring political activity for Sinn Fein was more than twice as high as any other party, although most new independents did not declare political connections.

Ms McCorley (51) is joining the West Belfast Sub-Group of the Belfast DPP. She is a member of the Community Relations Council and a Sinn Fein employee.

However, the Policing Board, which made the appointments, said all new members have signed declarations against terrorism.

Also, ex-prisoners can serve on the policing bodies, provided they have been out of prison for more than five years.

As well as Ms McCorley, who was jailed for 22 years in 1991 for a failed bomb attack on an RUC reservist, former IRA Maze commander Sean Lynch is joining the Fermanagh DPP. He was wounded in an SAS ambush that killed IRA man Seamus McElwaine.

See: Policing Post For SAS Ambush Survivor

See: Teenager Joins DPP

(BMcC)