This week, we took a decision to name the police officer injured in the bomb blast at Spamount crossroads. In doing so, we break with a convention of not naming officers injured in such attacks and we have informed the Police Service of Northern Ireland of our reasons for doing so.

First, a huge number of readers already know the injured officer's identity by word of mouth. There is no reason to believe his attackers do not know this and more about him. More important, however, we no longer have reason to treat such news details in a manner different to any other normal society.

Ryan Crozier is part of our community – a young man who grew up in West Tyrone, who lives here, socialises openly here and he joined the police to serve and protect his neighbours. Under no circumstances should he be regarded as anything less than the victim of a dastardly act that could have cost his life.

This is the new dispensation in which the police deserve the full and total support of our normal Irish society. Those who attack the police have no vestige of legitimacy, nor should we proclaim the names they usurp unto themselves. It is they who deserve the anonymity of shame, not this young police officer.

Ryan Crozier was not in the service of Crown or empire but of the community. Those who tried to murder him were attacking the community and attacking the peace we are building day by day with the overwhelming consent and support of the people of Ireland.

In the murky past, the police were considered as part of the problem by a huge section of the community. That has changed. Young men and women of nationalist background must know they can join the police in good conscience, with no hint of "letting down their community," or doing something they should be ashamed of. Indeed, they should be proud to serve their community in our agreed policing service.

The PSNI has the consent and approval of unionists, loyalists, nationalists and republicans, and of others who wear no label. The police have the support of the Dáil, the Assembly, US Congress and the European Union. Anyone who wishes to challenge the police has more legitimate ways of doing so than any other society on Earth. That is how it must be. There is no other way.

Ryan Crozier represented us when he was attacked; we must proudly acknowledge his role, and his name.