Manx Nationalists Urge Cops to Shake-Off Colonial Image

This news published by the Celtic League:

Manx Nationalists Urge Cops to Shake-Off Colonial Image

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

Distinct culture change may prove “a tonic” and resolve current shortcomings in the Service.

Time for a culture change at the CPHQ: according to Manx Nationalists the Islands Police should discard their “neo-colonial mentality” and become a real National Police Service.

The Police Service on the Island did make a cautious start down this road some years ago when it stopped importing the “mandatory” Chief Constable from England and recognised finally that it could find suitable candidates within its own ranks.

Nationalists believe there should now be further radical steps to assert the Services distinct culture and identity as a Manx public institution. The resolution set out below was adopted at the Mec Vannin AGM earlier this week:

“This AGM:

Welcomes the moves made by most Government departments to project “a semblance of commitment” to the Manx language by the use of bi-lingual signage on Government vehicles and stationery.

Registers its concern that the Isle of Man Constabulary has made very little effort to mirror the steps taken by other departments and persists in a projection of itself which makes it appear like a ‘quasi-English County police force’.

Suggests that the Force is renamed ‘The Manx Police Service’ (‘Sherveish Meoiryn Shee Vannin’).
Suggests the title ‘Chief Constable’, which also personifies links to the United Kingdom, is changed to ‘Commissioner of Police for the Isle of Man’ (‘Barrantagh Meoiryn Shee Vannin’).”

Some may argue this is a “radical” step, but would it really be so significant for the Service to respect its Manx identity?

Even in the United Kingdom there has been significant change. One of the first steps the current Scottish government made was to scrap the old area constabulary and establish “Police Scotland”. In Wales the various regional forces register their distinct identity via the language. Even in the North of Ireland the detested (by Nationalists) Royal Ulster Constabulary were replaced by a “Police Service”, the PSNI.

Those changes leave the Manx Police looking like “English County Constabulary Lite”.

Now we know in recent weeks Celtic League Mannin have been a little critical of the local police performance (over burglaries, road traffic issues, etc). Perhaps Mec Vannin has come up with the “tonic” they need and a new identity might harbinger an overall improvement in performance!

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information
Celtic League

13/05/15

(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur.)

ISSUED BY THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE.

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