The Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice Spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA, has warned that the Executive must heed the warning from the Police Federation about the impact of budget cuts and staffing pressures on the PSNI.     

Doug Beattie MC said:

“Carry on regardless. That seems to be the call from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable, the Policing Board and the Minister for Justice despite a major online survey that indicates police officers work at least one day’s unpaid overtime per month. With six out of ten officers routinely rearranging childcare, missing appointments or having family events severely disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances, this is unsustainable.

“Budgets continue to be cut and there are 700 fewer officers than was envisaged by Patten so it is inevitable that policing is so heavily reliant on goodwill from officers, whereby nearly every officer routinely works paid or unpaid overtime. This shows the dedication and professionalism of our officers and their commitment to the job they do, and it does them great credit. However, it also shows that the service is chronically undermanned and that goodwill alone is standing between an effective and an ineffective police service.

“It is obvious that some police officers’ morale is close to breaking point. As the PSNI workload increases it is clear that their numbers and their budget is reducing to a point where we either have to invest in the PSNI or we will see a reduction in services.

“Operating with seven hundred officers short of what is required for effective policing in Northern Ireland’s challenging environment and a further thirty officers leaving the service each month, must surely cause alarm bells to ring at the Executive. The options are simple if not stark for the people of Northern Ireland; either invest in the PSNI or expect a reduction in police services.

“This crisis is the latest which has been caused by bad financial management from the Executive and as a result of this we have major staffing issues in the police, prison and the health services not to mention the £400M scandal that is the Renewable Heat Incentive.

“We simply cannot go on like this.”