Tom Constantine is overseeing policing reforms

All sections of the community in Northern Ireland must back the police in their offensive against organised crime, the policing oversight commissioner has said.

The comments come in the latest report by Tom Constantine, published on Tuesday, who is monitoring police reform in the province.

Mr Constantine said there were fears the authorities were becoming powerless in tackling Mafia-style organisations.

"The criminal organisations that control the traffic in illegal drugs, carry out contract executions and extort the legitimate business community, are contributing to a perception by some of lawlessness that is beyond the control of government," he said.

All of the citizens will have to unite to confront these criminals and crime syndicates Tom Constantine Oversight Commissioner

"The only answer to combating such lawless and violent behaviour by criminal gangs is a police service that is professional, fully resourced and well-supported by the community, along with an accepted judicial system.

"This is a critical period of time for the policing of Northern Ireland and if this climate of lawlessness and violence is to be remedied, all of the citizens will have to unite to confront these criminals and crime syndicates."

Policing Board Chairman Desmond Rea said the police must have support from the whole community.

"The critical new thing about policing in Northern Ireland is that it is policing with the community but we have got to get them out there," he said.

"That was what the human resource strategy was about."

Assistant Chief Constable Roy Toner, who is in charge of change management within the PSNI, said the report shows the police need the backing of the community.

Assets

"We are addressing that threat daily and making significant inroads," he said.

"We have to be honest here. Unless people come forward and support us in what we are doing for them, policing for them, we will never be able to address the problems of organised crime that I know all sections of the community in Northern Ireland want to get rid of."

Mr Constantine's comments may be seen as an appeal for republicans to support the new policing structures in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein has, so far, refused to take its seats on the Policing Board because it says the policing reforms have not gone far enough.

The newly formed Assets Recovery Agency has been assigned the task of tackling organised crime in the province.

The agency, headed by former PSNI assistant chief constable Alan McQuillan, has broad-ranging powers of investigation and can seize the assets of crime bosses.

Former Canadian police officer Al Hutchinson will succeed Tom Constantine as oversight commissioner later this year.

The commissioner monitors how changes to the new police service are carried out based on the government's policing reform act, put together following a report from the Patten Commission.