Stephen White is former commanding officer of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (police force at the time) during some of Northern Ireland’s most violent and volatile years.

Stephen tells us about his early years growing up in an environment where sectarian tension and violence was a constant. Stephen spent time in the Ulster Defense Regiment before he joined the RUC.

I asked Stephen about the daily reality of policing Northern Ireland’s streets during some of its most tumultuous years, thoughts on Irish reunification, facing rioters after Bobby Sand’s death, accusations of collusion, death threats and much more

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing up in N.I
10:22 Story from teen years about sectarian violence on catholic friend
12:42 Thoughts on Irish reunifaction
21:02 JOING ULSTER DEFENCE REGIMENT (UDR)
33:02 UDR clashes with loyalist paramilitaries
35:22 UDR/UVF dual memberships ??
38:52 JOINING RUC (1978)
42:02 BOBBY SANDS RIOTS
47:32 John Weir conviction
53:20 Any officers under Stephen’s command investigated for COLLUSION ?
57:20 Rougher policing back then (70s-90s)
1:04:02 RUC “dirty war” use of loyalist paramilitaries as agents
1:14:02 Dealing with the trauma of the job
1:19:12 ASSASSINATION PLOTS AGAINST STEPHEN
1:26:32 Toughest area in N.I to be a cop during the troubles
1:30:12 Running into IRA men while off-duty