Mutual Aid call is ‘prudent and sensible’

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) says the drafting of officers under Mutual Aid is ‘a prudent and sensible precautionary measure.’

The PSNI is contingency planning to cover a number of events this weekend including any possible operational resilience requirements stemming from the Parades Commission determination of the Orange Order application to walk the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

PFNI Chair Liam Kelly said: “Mutual Aid gives our police service the added resource it thinks it might need. Services in Scotland and England and Wales have answered the call to bolster badly stretched PSNI officer numbers.

“This is a prudent and sensible precautionary measure. Our officer numbers stand at 6,444 but the Service can feasibly only call on around 4,000 of them because of leave, sickness or restricted duties.

“We’d prefer not to have to rely on colleagues from across the UK but the mechanism is there and it has been used to good effect in recent years, especially at times of heightened tension and public disorder.

“And, of course, Mutual Aid carries an unwelcome additional financial burden on what is already an underfunded policing service.

“My hope is that the Mutual Aid officers will not require to be routinely deployed to bolster my colleagues performing their operational duties. However, the mere fact that they will be readily available to offer meaningful and robust back-up will be a most welcome reassurance to the men and women I represent.”