Union criticises Stormont over refusal to fund PSNI plan
The union that represents rank and file police officers in Northern Ireland has accused the Stormont Executive of not giving a damn about policing after a refusal to fund a five-year recovery plan for the PSNI.
The £200 million (€176m) plan included the recruitment of hundreds of new officers to increase the PSNI's headcount to 7,000 by 2028.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher submitted the plan to Stormont after warning that the current number of officers, just over 6,200, is insufficient to keep the public safe.
Addressing the annual conference of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, its chair Liam Kelly revealed Mr Boutcher was recently informed that his plan cannot be funded.
"To say there is disappointment would be a gross understatement," he told delegates.
Mr Kelly said it "would be more accurate" to say the federation "is appalled by this decision".
"It is a slap in the face to our officers," he said.
"It's also the abandonment by an elected administration whose solemn duty and responsibility is to safeguard the entire population and give us the tools to combat crime and terrorism, stamp out a multi-million pound drugs trade, deal with people traffickers, investigate general crime and make our roads safer," he added.
The number of police officers in Northern Ireland fell by 172 to a total of 6,224 during the past year.
Mr Kelly referred to independent research, commissioned by the PSNI last year, which recommended that it needs up to 8,500 officers to reflect Northern Ireland's rising population.
"Right now, we're 2,276 shy of that and nobody in government seems to care or give a damn," he said.
The federation chair said the decision not to fund the plan would have an inevitable impact on the PSNI's resources and services, describing it as "ruinous for policing".
He praised Mr Boutcher, who was in the audience, for doing all he could "to convince, persuade, cajole and even embarrass our administration to provide him with the finances he requires to do the job".
'Breaking point'
Mr Kelly said there is something odd about the way policing in Northern Ireland is treated in comparison to the situation in England and Wales, where the British government last year announced £200m funding to create 3,000 new posts.
"However, in Northern Ireland there is neither a willingness nor a determination to invest in policing in the same way the government does in England and Wales," he said.
"We are the poor relation," he added.
He told delegates the PSNI is currently "at breaking point" and in need of a lifeline.
"From this podium today, I renew my appeal to our executive to change course and recognise the desperate need for urgent positive intervention before there is any further shocking damage done to our police service," he said.
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