MI5 takes over from Nothern Ireland police
MI5 has taken on the leading role for national security intelligence work in Northern Ireland
This move, which was announced by the government in February 2005, is part of the ongoing normalisation of policing and security in Northern Ireland. It is also a response to the increased threat of international terrorism, which affects every part of the UK. National security in Northern Ireland is now managed in the same way as it is in the rest of the UK.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has retained its existing responsibilities for gathering intelligence on crime. It continues to provide the operational police response in countering terrorism and protecting the whole community in Northern Ireland.
