New Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde has been promised the full support of British Prime Minister Tony Blair after the first meeting between the two since Mr Orde took up his position.
With his officers under intense pressure because of violence on the streets of Belfast and a developing terrorist threat from dissident republicans and loyalists, Mr Orde highlighted the difficulties he faces in maintaining law and order across Northern Ireland.
After the meting Mr Blair promised Mr Orde "100 per cent support" and the chief constable said the Prime Minister's message was "very positive".
Mr Blair told reporters: "I have absolute confidence he will do an excellent job. It's a very, very difficult job and we will offer him every support we possibly can in meeting the challenge he has."
Asked if Mr Orde would have all the resources it needed, Mr Blair replied: "Yes. It's important that he does have the resources necessary.
"I know there are certain issues he is discussing with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at the moment but I know that the policing of Northern Ireland still has particular problems associated with it and of course it is important he has the resources to do the job properly.
"We are not tolerating no-go areas or areas where the rule of law doesn't apply."
With Northern Secretary Dr John Reid thought to be preparing tough new laws to fight the loyalist and republican paramilitaries, Mr Orde is set to ask his policing board to retain the 2,000 full-time reserve officers at a crunch meeting at its Belfast headquarters on September 27th.
He also voiced fears today that Catholics may not be persuaded to join the PSNI in sufficient numbers.
He urged Sinn Féin to end its opposition to the new police structures, claiming the republican party's endorsement would make a huge difference.
Mr Orde said: "The key issue in the long term is: are we able to encourage as many Catholic recruits as possible to join us? I have real concerns about that."
Calling on people to put pressure on their representatives, he added: "I think if Sinn Féin came on the policing board, that would open up a raft of recruits from the Catholic community."
However, when Mr Blair was asked about pressurising Sinn Féin over the policing board issue, he said: "That's a matter for them. I hope people realise that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is constructed on the basis of broad support across the community.
Pressed on the disappointing figures for Catholic recruitment to the force, Mr Blair said: "We have come a very, very long way and part of the final stages of this process is to make sure we have a viable police service which can police in a normal way.
"I think we do have a new dawn in policing, we do have a police service in Northern Ireland where we are out there trying to recruit as many people as possible from all sides of the community."
Mr Blair will later this morning have talks with SDLP leader Mark Durkan on policing and other issues.
PA