‘Butchered’ Northern Ireland police numbers fall to record low of 6,233

Northern Ireland’s “butchered” police numbers have sunk to a record low of 6,233, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said.

Mr Boutcher said letters and lobbying are “just not cutting it” and claimed it was “not acceptable” that he was having to make pleas for pay awards for officers.

The Chief Constable again highlighted the financial crisis facing the force as he addressed the Policing Board on Thursday.

Mr Boutcher said the PSNI was facing a £23.1 million shortfall in the current financial year.

He told the board: “I was pleased to read of the Finance Minister’s remarks this week that health workers in Northern Ireland will get their pay rise.

“Looking at the fairness of such awards, I am sure he will be equally determined to support police pay awards and I will be writing to the Justice Minister and the Finance Minister in that regard.”

He said ministers had a “wickedly difficult job” in addressing gaps in public service budgets.

But Mr Boutcher added: “It is worth recording that the Northern Ireland Executive has increased the health budget from circa £3.3 billion in 2010 to around £8 billion today, leading to a significant increase in workforce.

“The PSNI budget has remained almost at the same level since 2010 and our numbers have been butchered.

“Both education and health have received considerable uplifts in their budgets while policing, which holds the fabric of our society together, has not been financially supported in anywhere near the same way.”

He said the PSNI was planning to address “dangerously low numbers” through a recovery business case.

He added: “At least can we please, and those few officers we do have, get their recommended pay awards in the same way as health?

“Our workforce are constantly picking up the pieces of society breaking down.

“Policing is now the front line of mental health services in Northern Ireland, something we are neither resourced for or trained for.

“Chief Constable colleagues of mine in England and Wales do not need to make specific pleas for the pay awards for their officers.

“This is just not acceptable.”

Mr Boutcher added: “At the start of last month our head count stood at a new record low of 6,233.

“Letters and lobbying are just not cutting it.

“This is simply not good enough. It is not fair and it leaves the police service of Northern Ireland to do a job they simply cannot do as they would like to because they do not have the numbers.

“We cannot keep people safe with these numbers.”

The Patten Review recommended police numbers of 7,500 for Northern Ireland.

Mr Boutcher said Stormont politicians had to “recognise policing as a priority public service”.

He said: “A further failure by the Executive to do so will result in us failing to protect people.

“We cannot do this job unless you give us the tools to do it.”