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Stormont cannot fund recruitment, says Police Federation

Julian O'Neill
BBC News NI crime and justice correspondent
BBC A grey haired man in a navy suit, white shirt and navy and green tie. Behind him an out-of-focus green billboard. He has a grey pin on his lapel. BBC
Liam Kelly says the Police Federation is "appalled" by the decision

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has been told Stormont cannot find the money for a £200m plan to increase officer numbers, the Police Federation has claimed.

Speaking at a conference in Enniskillen, its chairman, Liam Kelly, said he was "appalled" by the situation.

The Chief Constable John Boutcher said the "consequences of not getting the PSNI back on its feet will be dire".

The PSNI recently submitted a business case for the extra cash, which was being assessed by the Department of Finance.

Two men with short grey hair, stand in front of three microphones. The mics are yellow, blue and red. The man on the left wears a navy suit and white shirt with a red and green striped tie. The man on the right also wears a navy suit and white shirt with a green and navy striped tie. Behind them is a small stage with a large green sign which says 'Police Federation NI. Putting Members First."
Jon Boutcher and Liam Kelly speaking at the conference in Enniskillen

Mr Kelly claimed the department recently told Mr Boutcher there is no money to support the plan.

Mr Boutcher's plan aims to increase officer numbers to 7,000 – the service currently has about 6,200 officers, the lowest in its 24-year history.

'A slap in the face'

The Police Federation represents the organisation's rank and file.

Addressing its annual conference, Mr Kelly said without a "last-minute rethink" by Stormont, the plan has been "effectively shredded".

He continued: "To say there is disappointment would be a gross understatement.

"It would be more accurate to say this federation is appalled by this decision.

"It is a slap in the face to our officers."

He went on to state that he believed policing is "at the back of the queue" when it comes to budget allocations from Stormont.

"Nobody in government seems to care or give a damn," he remarked.

Getty Images A PSNI police officer wearing a high-visibility jacket closes off a street. Blue and white police tape is up. The street in the background is out of focus.Getty Images
The Police Service of Northern Ireland currently has about 6,200 officers, the lowest in its 24-year history

At the conference Mr Boutcher criticised the budget allocations that have seen the policing budget cut by 6% which he says is "30% in real terms", while health and education have received extra money.

The chief constable claimed police are doing jobs they were not trained for.

"We're mainly doing health stuff, so we're even doing the work that health aren't able to do, but we're not trained or funded to do".

Recruitment is already under way, but the chief constable wanted his recovery plan funded on top of his annual budget.

A recent inspection report warned financial pressures are limiting what the PSNI is able to do, including monitoring violent offenders and neighbourhood patrolling.