The DUP has described the change of name for the North's police force as "the formal obituary notice of the RUC". Mr Ian Paisley jnr said the British government had handed a victory to the IRA.
The DUP had predicted the Belfast Agreement would lead to the RUC's destruction, he said. "We were told then by David Trimble that this was a scare story. Now, our prediction, our judgment and our leadership has proved to be accurate.
"All those who voted to endorse the agreement and who campaigned for it bear a heavy responsibility for this decision. The new recruits to the police enter into a force that has been sapped of morale, defrauded of its name and emasculated of its powers. The Secretary of State is placating IRA terrorists. He is saying the IRA's campaign has done away with the RUC. He is the arch appeaser of the IRA."
Ulster Unionist Policing Board member, Lord Kilclooney, the former Mr John Taylor, stressed that the title of the police would be Police Service of Northern Ireland, incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
"That will be the name and the Ulster Unionists will continue to use its full title on the board," he said. "For operational purposes it will be known as the Police Service but that makes sense because even if you were to ring Newtownards police station in my constituency, the officer on the other end of the phone says 'Police' and not RUC," he added.
Sinn FΘin said "RUC" should have disappeared completely from the name of the new force. "Patten demanded the RUC name should go. However, the British government insisted on retaining it in the title deeds of the new service," said Assembly member, Mr Alex Maskey.
SDLP policing spokesman, Mr Alex Attwood, welcomed Dr Reid's announcement. "It was time the Policing Board was established with full powers and the police service renamed at the same time," he said.
"This is another step in the further and full implementation of Patten and everyone now should urgently embrace the new beginning to policing. The SDLP inside and outside the Policing Board will work with all concerned to embrace the values of Patten and proper policing for all our citizens."
Republican Sinn FΘin spokeswoman, Ms Geraldine Taylor, said the police force's new name was irrelevant. "It doesn't matter what they are called or what uniform they wear. They will still be the paid forces of the British establishment controlling our streets, protecting partition, and upholding British rule in Ireland."
Progressive Unionist spokesman, Mr David Ervine, said while unionists might be unhappy with the name change, it was important that an efficient police service was set up quickly "to come to grips with the lawlessness on our streets".