Police commanders have set out the scale of the cutbacks being implemented in Northern Ireland, as the chief constable expressed frustration that his warnings about the impact of budget cuts are not being heeded.
During the monthly meeting of the Policing Board in Belfast, Jon Boutcher asked members of his senior leadership team to spell out how spending constraints are affecting service delivery.
Board members were told the local policing department – compromising frontline response officers and neighbourhood teams – is currently around 900 officers short.
They were also told the PSNI has 160 fewer accredited detectives this year than last, and 50 fewer operational support officers to carry out search operations linked to serious crimes.
The board was informed that 21 officers have been taken off the roads policing team, while the performance rating of PSNI call centres has slipped from the top quarter of UK forces towards the bottom third.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher during a meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)
“The message does not seem to be getting through,” said Mr Boutcher.
“The PSNI has continued to be a net loser compared with all other key public services in Northern Ireland since 2010. This has to stop. The issue is linked to everything we’re asked to do. We need to get the protection of society in Northern Ireland right.
“As I say, the message is clearly not landing but, for the avoidance of doubt, since 2010 there’s been a downturn in any proper funding of the PSNI.”
He said funding for the health and education sectors had increased significantly in the last 14 years.
Mr Boutcher said the current headcount of officers stands at around 6,300, but there is a need for at least 8,000. He characterised 8,000 as a “conservative” assessment.
He said the lack of funding is having a serious effect on the wellbeing of staff, and he reflected on the tragic death of an officer who, he said, took their own life due to issues related to workplace pressures.
“I ask for support from this board and everybody in Northern Ireland who has a voice to make sure that the predicament that we now find ourselves in is arrested,” he added.