Two criminologists at Queen's University Belfast have strongly questioned the expertise and accountability of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland, as that body prepares to interview candidates today for the post of RUC chief constable.
The academics described the police authority as ineffectual and "an impotent creature of circumstances rather than an effective and legitimate policing agency", and they suggested it be replaced by a professional body which could "get things done
Prof Mike Brogden, director of the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice at QUB, and Dr Keith Bryett, senior lecturer in criminal justice management, made the comments in an article in the Belfast Telegraph.
