THE former chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Authority, Mr David Cook, has suggested that the names of RUC men involved in organisations such as the Orange Order, the Freemasons or the Ancient Order of Hibernians should be listed in a public register of interests.
He reveals, however, that when he proposed as chairman that the Police Authority should formally examine this issue he met strong opposition from a majority of the members.
The debate about police officers' membership of secretive organisations has become active again as the Association of Chief Police Officers in Britain is considering whether there should be a requirement to reveal membership.
It is expected that a register of interests may be established for each force in Britain.
The new RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, said recently he had been a member of the Freemasons at the start of his police career, but left in case there might be a perception that his impartiality was compromised.
Although former Catholic officers of the RUC have asserted that membership of the Masonic and Orange Orders is widespread in the RUC, Mr Cook says he did not form this view when he was chairman of the Police Authority.
Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, he suggested last week that a register of interests would clarify the position either way and would in itself involve "a most useful public declaration of impartiality by the police".
He said the question was whether membership of any organisation could bring, or appear to bring, the officer's impartiality into question or lead to a conflict of interest between police duty and private allegiance.
"It has to be asked whether the undeclared membership of secretive organisations is ... compatible with the office of constable," Mr Cook wrote.