Mutual Aid call shows how cuts have eroded PSNI
The Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, says the request for officers from GB forces to assist the PSNI to deal with ongoing street violence shows how cuts have eroded the Service.
Mr Kelly said: “We have seen nights of violence with officers working long hours – being necessitated to give up rest days and annual leave to be on duty to maintain order. The same cadre of officers cannot be expected to continue to do this for any protracted period, so I welcome the PSNI request for Mutual Aid to be deployed to support them.
“Due to successive deficit budgets, we are already without ten Level One Public Order crews – two units of fifty highly trained officers – which adds enormous pressure onto the remaining specialist units. This situation cannot continue indefinitely and ultimately is unsustainable. PSNI needs significant investment so we can start to grow our policing service to the levels that are needed.
“Mutual Aid is a last resort. After another night of trouble, this time in east Belfast, for resilience, officer welfare and public confidence the Chief Constable had no choice but to ask for outside help. We know our sister forces themselves are under considerable pressure because of protests and counterdemonstrations and it is unclear at this stage just how much assistance they can provide and for how long.
“There’s a Government commitment in England and Wales for 13,000 additional officers, but in Northern Ireland policing is in reverse. Officer numbers currently sit at 6,430 on paper and that is over 1,000 fewer than the Patten envisaged peacetime minimum and up to 2,000 less on what is actually required.
“This is a glaring example of the consequences of 10 years of cuts on policing and the failure of Stormont to award an appropriate budget. It cannot go on. We’re at breaking point and must have direct action by both our own and the UK Government.
“My appeal is to positively intervene with a realistic budget so we can avert a full-blown crisis.”