ulsterisation was the british government's policy to reduce regular army troop numbers in northern ireland and bring local forces into the front line. this was as a result of international opinion about british soldiers being used in what many viewed as a "colonial occupation". it was also called "normalisation", or "police primacy". the term "ulsterisation" was coined by the media. the then assistant chief constable of the ruc, jack hermon, summed it up when he said, "ulstermen need to learn to live together and be policed by ulstermen. if they have to kill, let them kill each other, not english soldiers."