Reporters from Children’s Express spoke with Northern Ireland youngsters from a variety of backgrounds to learn of their reactions to and interactions with adults, particularly officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
– Kelly Hughes, 16, Belfast: “They just ignore us and we just ignore them. We just walk on by them and say `hi.’ “
– Jane Jackson, 12, Belfast: “When you see (officers) carrying guns, they’re just there to protect people that are working, in case anything does happen. And quite a lot of people think that they’re about to shoot you. But I was walking down the road and there was a lorry (a truck) and there were these men on the top pointing these guns. I just waved and they waved back. They were really friendly, but you wouldn’t think it.”
– Sheena Morris, 15, Crossmaglen: “There’s a boy up near our part and (an officer was) offering him sweets, trying to be friendly. They’re friendly enough, but we wouldn’t really get too friendly with them.”
– Kelly: “When I was younger, I was scared (of constabulary raids), but then I got used to it. (Because of) my father, we used to be raided every couple of weeks or something.”
– Sheena: “There’d be boys up in my part that would (throw rocks at the constabulary.) They just call them all the names of the day and throw whatever they can get in their hands.
“(The officers) walk on. Sometimes they go over to them and tell them to bugger off or whatever. If we had any troubles at our house, they could come in because up at our part, there’s boys that would throw stones and everything.
“The other night there was someone who threw bottles of woodies (an alcoholic drink). They threw it into our garden one night, kept me up till 3 in the morning. If we wanted to, we could call the police and they could take them down to the station and ask them about the rocks.
– Oliver Rushe, 15, Crossmaglen: “I don’t like to throw stones and all with my friends. I just walk on. I’m just different, not on their level.
– Janine McKnight, 10, Belfast: “They help you a lot, like if you need to cross the road, there is so much traffic.”
– Samantha Doherty, 18, Londonderry: “I have seen children and they’re up on the walls standing and the policemen just all of a sudden start driving around these pedestrian areas going mad, shouting. I have seen three police vans trying to scare these 11- or 12-year-old children, pointing their guns at them.”
