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OBITUARY - ALAN WRIGHT MBE
Former Chairman of Police Federation for Northern Ireland
Alan Wright, for so many years the human face of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross, died on 28 March 2008 aged 71 after a lengthy illness.
Alan was Assistant Secretary of the Police Federation from 1974 to 1976 and Chairman from 1976 to January 1990, an unprecedented 17 year period during which he led almost 13,000 federated members through the horrific times of the troubles. At one stage the RUC was judged by professional observers to be the most at risk force in the world.
Originally from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, Alan joined the RUC in 1957. He served in the border counties and regularly performed security duties for the then Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir Basil Brooke.
But William John Alan Wright was anything but forelock tugging by nature. Alan was not afraid to speak out on behalf of colleagues and espoused from early days a beard in visible defiance of police regulations.
Policing in the late 1950s was an almost military affair and officers had tough terms and conditions, not the least of which were low salaries and no paid overtime despite unrestricted demands on their time. Along with other UK Federation chairmen who galvanised the UK police service, Alan led the way in securing a Royal Commission into policing. The resultant Lord Edmund-Davies Report redefined the standing of the police officer nationally and improved terms and conditions which, ironically, are being targeted by Government today.
Alan was fearless in his determination to represent the Central Committee and the Federation. The loss of so many colleagues through shootings and bombings greatly distressed him and he was interviewed regularly on television and radio as he sought to get across to the wider population the human price for upholding law and order being paid by 'ordinary men and women doing an extraordinary job'.
His vigorous support for an Occupational Health Unit, eventually set up in 1984, was crucial to persuading Headquarters that the physical and mental health of officers was being ignored. The case against the Chief Constable of failing in a duty of care to provide adequate facilities to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was largely vindicated in court only last year when Alan was an important witness for the Federation.
One of his major achievements was his successful and balanced representation of the Federation in the immediate aftermath of the signing of the Anglo Irish Agreement in 1985. Hundreds of officers were attacked and many had to move home because of anger among the loyalist community who had mistakenly harboured the idea that the RUC was their partisan force.
Alan made it clear that the disquiet within the force was caused by the fierce intimidation of officers rather than the Agreement itself. The professionalism of the Force marked a turning point in nationalist regard for the RUC. He was also ahead of his time as a leading advocate for independent investigation of complaints against the police.
Alan retired in 1990, He will be remembered for the succession of unwanted battles he had with the then Chief Constable Sir John Hermon. Those disagreements culminated in a regrettable attempt to silence the federation and its chairman from speaking to the media. He had also been wearied by attendance at too many funerals of friends and colleagues including his RUC niece and the emotional impact had taken its toll.
He will always be remembered by those who served or worked with him for his moral incorruptibility, his fearless readiness to speak out for his members and for a wonderful sense of impish humour which rejuvenated him in retirement along with an undiminished interest in rugby having played regularly for Malone RFC. He had a lasting pride in the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross and in the colleagues with whom he served.
To his wife, Lorraine and daughters Karen and Gillian and grandson Adam go the best wishes of police officers, friends and colleagues everywhere.
AB
