No U-turn on reserve decision, vows Baggott
PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott called a media summit yesterday to state unequivocally that there would be no U-turn on the disbandment of the full- time reserve.
Mr Baggott has faced criticism from both unionists and officer representative body the Police Federation since he announced that the 380-strong full-time reserve would be wound up by March 2011.
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson has said the issue could be a deal-breaker over the devolution of policing and justice, but yesterday the party said it would be meeting the Chief Constable to discuss the issue.
Mr Baggott yesterday denied any political influence and said that his job was to provide a world-class police force for Northern Ireland and that was the only reason for any of his decisions, including the axing of the full-time reserve.
“It’s a tough nettle to grasp, but I don’t think I would be doing my job and acting responsibly if I didn’t grasp that nettle.”
He said there were more than 4,000 front-line officers on the streets and the full-time reserve only made up around four per cent of the total 7,500-strong force.
“That is not to diminish their value, what they have done over time, but nothing that I’ve seen justifies the retaining of the full-time reserve – it’s unjustifiable,” he said.
The Chief Constable said he was disappointed that the issue had become politicised, but said the only way he would reconsider was if the security situation dictated a rethink.
He said the decision was not new, but was being “replayed” in the political arena.
Mr Baggott said the current situation involved the last 15 per cent of the reserve force.
“Firstly, this decision I have made, with the unanimous support of my chief officer colleagues, has been as the result of a very thorough review of security, very thorough, a root and branch look at the current situation – what we have to provide and how we are going to do it,” he said.
“At the end of that process I was more than convinced that it didn’t justify the retention of the full-time reserve. I have made the decision impartially, independently with my accountability as Chief Constable to the Policing Board, so any comment that I have somehow become a political lackey or I have been playing into the political wind is simply not true.
“I’ll be accountable for what we do, but I am not playing a political game here, and neither have I been asked to quite frankly.”
He plans to replace the reserve by freeing up officers currently behind desks or tied up in other tasks.
Mr Baggott said taxpayers expected him to provide a cost-effective and efficient force.
The DUP yesterday appeared to be fighting a rearguard action on the full time reserve and said it was not convinced Mr Baggott had the support in his force that he claimed.
A party spokesman said: “All across the country senior police commanders have indicated that they consider the resource provided by the PSNI reserve as an essential component in providing policing services and combating the increasing terrorist threat.
“If senior officers have no confidence that they can do the job without the manpower provided by the reserve, then how can the public be confident that the PSNI is able to deliver?
“We will be meeting with the Chief Constable tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss these issues.”
Commenting on claims by a News Letter columnist in yesterday’s paper that the “Chief Constable’s honeymoon is over”, Mr Baggott said he was glad that that was the case, as now he could get on with dealing with the hard questions.
“Well, actually, if a marriage doesn’t become a maturing relationship, it’s finished,” he said.
“Actually, I’m quite pleased the honeymoon is over, because it needs to come to an end, and now I need to have those robust conversations with people about the future.”
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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