The chairman of the North's Policing Board has called on everybody with civic responsibility to work with the police to stem recent sectarian violence.
Addressing an international policing conference in Belfast yesterday, Prof Desmond Rea said the police, elected representatives and community leaders had a responsibility in establishing the right relationships between each other to deal with public unrest.
"Our new beginning for policing has to be given a real chance of success to help us all build for the future. There is a major opportunity here which must not be missed. The Policing Board are working towards it, and the police are committed to it. Everyone in the community must now face up to the facts and consider whether they want to take responsibility for their own future," he said.
While introducing additional security measures provided short-term solutions, the building of trust was the only long-term guarantee of resolving deep-seated divisions, Prof Rea added.
"Building walls is easy; building trust must be worked at," he said.