All Northern parties will move soon to fully support the PSNI, the US special envoy to the peace process has forecast.
Ambassador Mitchell Reiss said full endorsement of policing by all parties, including Sinn Féin, was a question of when and not if.
He told a graduation ceremony at the PSNI training college that reformed policing was "the outstanding success story of the peace process".
In a speech which heaped praise on the police service, Dr Reiss said the US was "a strong supporter" of the new policing arrangements. His administration had "the utmost confidence" in the PSNI, adding that "tremendous strides" had been made in policing since Good Friday 1998.
"Make no mistake," he said. "With sweeping structural reforms, accountability mechanisms and local oversight, many people think you have one of the best police services in all of Europe." Dr Reiss later met some of the parties for discussions in advance of the publication of the Independent Monitoring Commission report next week and political initiatives which are expected to follow.
Dr Reiss also discussed policing with a Sinn Féin delegation comprising Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Fermanagh-South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew.
The special envoy is said to have referred to remarks made by the US ambassador to London in Belfast on Thursday.
Ambassador Robert Tuttle said: "One key issue that we'll continue to focus on is the importance of community-based policing and the need for the entire community, and all political parties to fully support the PSNI . . . Continuing support for the police is fundamental and cannot be used as a political bargaining chip. Every party should tell its constituents that they should co-operate with the police." However, a reliable Sinn Féin source told The Irish Times last night that policing did not figure large in the delegation's talks with Dr Reiss.
"We didn't spend any great amount of time on policing," he said, adding that there was nothing said along the lines of Mr Tuttle's comments.
Sinn Féin said after the meeting that change was taking place, although more slowly than it would like.
"Last week we spelt out publicly the steps we have been privately pushing the governments on; these include the British government lifting the suspension of the political institutions and the running of the d'Hondt process to elect an Executive." The Sinn Féin delegation is understood to have told Dr Reiss that the US "should get back to an even-handed approach" regarding the peace process. Previous administrations had played a crucial role and the US involvement was vital to creating the right context and atmosphere for progress.
However, "waving sticks and threatening isn't going to work", The Irish Times was told.
Dr Reiss also met delegations from the DUP, the Alliance party and the Ulster Unionists.
Alliance leader David Ford said he wanted to see the US "encouraging parties to engage with each other".
For the Ulster Unionists, Fred Cobain, MLA and Policing Board member, said: "Our message is clear - republicans have to stop their criminal activity and commit to policing."