Budget pressures have left PSNI at tipping point – Boutcher

Outlining the scale of the financial challenges facing his force, Mr Boutcher said it was “beyond startling” that the funding for other public services and police forces had risen while the PSNI’s budget had declined.

Stormont’s powersharing executive agreed its draft 2024/25 spending plan last week, which included an allocation of £1.26 billion to the Department of Justice, an increase of 8.3% from the previous year.

However, Justice Minister Naomi Long, whose department has responsibility for policing, courts and prisons, has warned the allocation could lead to “potentially catastrophic failure”.

In his monthly accountability report to the Policing Board, Mr Boutcher said he had consistently raised concerns over finances and a diminishing number of officers.

He said: “We have been providing a service to the people of Northern Ireland based on what we can afford to do, not what they need us to do.

“Quite simply, it is affecting our ability to keep people safe and we are now at a tipping point.

“I recognise that each public service in Northern Ireland, and indeed each police force in Great Britain, continually make statements about inadequate funding.

“However, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has suffered more financially than any of these bodies.

“Even when compared against all other such organisations we are an outlier of inadequate funding.”

Mr Boutcher said he had written to Ms Long as well as the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris to set out the challenges he faces.

He said: “Failure to properly resource the Police Service of Northern Ireland is beginning to have a serious impact and is becoming increasingly noticeable.

“The truth is that things are now taking longer. We are becoming a less visible, accessible and responsive service.”

The chief constable outlined the consequences of the funding shortfall. He said this would include:

– the public will have to wait longer for officers to attend emergency and non-emergency incidents;

– the PSNI’s capacity to investigate crime will be “reduced and slowed”;

– there will be a “detrimental impact” on the PSNI’s ability to support national security operations;

– the PSNI will be a reduced proactive presence on roads despite rising road deaths;

– the force will “continue to actively review access to, and closure of, further police stations across Northern Ireland”;

– the PSNI’s ability to respond to sustained protest and public disorder “will be reduced”.

Mr Boutcher said there was a “compelling case” for the PSNI to have an officer headcount of 8,500 with 3,000 civilian staff.

He added: “Obviously, this is well in excess of the circa 6,400 police officers and 2,400 police staff we have currently.

“Since 2010, public spending in Northern Ireland on public order and safety has risen by just 8%, demonstrating the real financial difficulties facing the justice sector.

“However, during this same period, the Police Service of Northern Ireland budget has fallen by 3%.

“At the same time, the health budget has increased from £3.5 billion to £7.76 billion (121%).

“Our policing colleagues in An Garda Siochana have seen their budget increase by 25% since 2020.

“These figures are beyond startling.”

Mr Boutcher said he had requested that the PSNI receive a baseline budget of £900 million “which will return us to our 2010 funding level”.

He added: “The situation we face is serious and unsustainable.”